CSA 6 months in and Indian Spiced Root Vegetable Soup

We ended the fall share of our CSA, which brought us to a total of 6 months (16 weeks for the summer, 10 weeks for the fall).  Overall we have had a good experience and I will even make a bold declaration: we now like kale! Crazy, I know, since we were so adamantly against it. I discovered the trick with kale is to treat it like onions, and cook it until it only slightly resembles its original self.  I also try to pair it with something sweet (sweet potatoes for example) to offset the bitterness. 

We've gotten to the time of year that all that is available locally is storage crops.  We accumulated a lot of carrots, apples, potatoes, etc over the last few weeks of the share.

Those alien looking things are celeriac (celery root).  Tastes exactly like celery.

We are splitting the winter share three ways with two friends, since we will be in for more storage crops.  We like storage crops but don't get through them very quickly, so it should be a perfect amount!

Last week I decided to try a variation on my potato leek soup and use more of the root vegetables.  I used Indian spices and coconut milk to add creaminess/keep it vegan.  It ended up tasting pretty great and made a lot of it so we've been eating it all week.

Served along side a toasted cheese and tempeh sandwich, it makes for a perfectly filling and delicious vegetarian lunch!  Here is the recipe:


Indian Spiced Root Vegetable Soup

4 large scallions, greens removed and diced
1 small onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, diced
8 medium unpeeled potatoes, washed well, medium chopped 
1 rutabaga peeled and medium chopped
2 large unpeeled carrots, washed well, medium chopped
1 small celeriac, peeled and medium chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 T garam marsala
1 t turmeric
1 t cumin
1 t salt
1.5 t pepper
1/2 t ginger
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
1 can coconut milk

Sautee scallions and onions until soft and brown, add garlic and sautee a few more minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients except for the coconut milk and pressure cook for 30 minutes (or slow cook for 8 hours).  Add coconut milk and blend with immersion blender or regular blender.  Taste and season accordingly.  If you pressure cooked it, give 30 more minutes on a low heat for spices to blend.

To make the toasted cheese and tempeh sandwich simply add tempeh and chutney to a grilled cheese sandwich.  Toast in a toaster oven until cheese is melted or grill on the stove top.  Between the cheese and the chutney, you can't really taste the tempeh (just how Kevin likes it) but it adds a good protein boost.