Creamy Orange Soup with Spiced Pepitas

Rainy days call for soup especially Jerusalem rainy days. When it rains in Israel it's also freezing cold so a big bowl of piping hot soup is just what's needed after you peel off your wet clothing, put on some sweats and warm socks, and get cozy on the couch.

Orange soup is the perfect soup for a wintery rainy day it's comforting, creamy, and satisfying. 

This soup uses basic ingredients and is very simple to prepare so you can put this together in a few minutes and it will be ready within the hour. 

Creamy Orange Soup 

3 Tbs olive oil

1 large onion, diced 

3 carrots, diced 

1/4 cup dry white wine 

3 cloves garlic minced 

3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed 

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed 

Salt

Pepper 

Sour cream/greek yogurt - optional 

Spiced Pepitas (recipe below) 

Add the olive oil to an 8-quart pot set over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and pepper cook for 5 minutes until the onions start to become to translucent and golden around the edges. Add the carrots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the white wine and with a wooden spoon scrape up any bits that got stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 2 minutes until the wine has reduced slightly and then add the sweet potatoes and butternut squash. Add 8 cups of water to the pot so the vegetables are just covered with water. Add a pinch of pepper and a big pinch of salt. Bring the soup to a boil and then cover and reduce the heat so the soup is at a simmer. Cook for around 30-40 minutes until everything is tender. Remove the heat and blend with an immersion blender directly in the pot or work in batches in a regular blender. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkling of spiced pepitas. 

This is a very large recipe, but it lasts in the fridge for a week and freezes beautifully. 

Spiced Pepitas 

1/2 cup pepitas 

1 tsp olive oil 

1 tsp smoked paprika 

pinch of cayenne pepper 

Place the seeds, oil, and spices in a pan set over medium heat and toss so that the seeds are coated in the oil and spices. The seeds will begin to pop cook for 3 minutes being careful that the seeds don't burn. Remove from the heat and store the seeds in an airtight container for a week.