A bowl of fall

As much as I hate raking the leaves in the backyard, the nasty when-will-it-end rain and the unsuspected change of temperature, fall for me also means more reasons to bake, lots of yummy veggies, heart-warming food, and the pretty colors all around in the trees (which of course, leads back to the leaves in the backyard... *sigh*)

I had an urge to make this duo color soup when I saw the colorful carrots at Jean Talon market, along with other colorful veggies that the farmers were selling. Although, I felt really bad for some of the fruits and veggies because it was already so cold out, and they seemed to have suffered. Sad, sad zucchini...

Beet soup

• a drizzle of olive oil
• a couple of cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 purple carrots, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• a pinch of salt
• 3 beets (boiled, skin peeled, chopped)
• chicken broth (about 500ml, depending on how thick you like the soup. You can always add more at the end)
• some grated ginger
• a pinch of chili powder
• a pinch of cayenne pepper

In a pot over medium heat, heat up oil, then toss in garlic, onions, carrots, potatoes, salt and cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes, stirring once in a while. The add beet and chicken broth. Turn heat up to maximum. Let come to a boil then lower heat & simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots & potatoes are tender. Use an immersion blender (or tranfer to a blender if you don't have one) and blitz soup until smooth. Add ginger, chili powder and cayenne pepper.

Add some freshly ground black pepper

Carrot & Roasted pepper soup

• a drizzle of olive oil
• a couple of cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 potato
• a pinch of salt
• chicken broth (about 500ml, depending on how thick you like the soup. You can always add more at the end)
• 2 yellow roasted bell peppers, skin peeled (roast them in the oven at 400F for about 40-45 minutes, turning once)
• a couple of pinches of turmeric powder
• a few pinched of curry powder
• Toasted pine nuts (optional)

Follow the same steps as the beets soup until the chicken broth, but adding the roasted pepper just when the soup starts to boil. Then blitz everything and add turmeric & curry powder.

To serve: carefully pt 2 ladles of beet soup into a bowl, then add one ladle of carrot & roasted pepper soup right in the middle of it. Add some freshly ground black pepper, or toasted pine nuts.

Toasted pine nuts add an extra kick!