One of our family’s favorites, Orange Soup (mah-RAHK kah-TOME), is a recipe that I have shared in the past. I have found that no matter how large a pot you make, it is always gone within a couple of days. In other words, this recipe makes a lot of soup, but it still won’t last very long. It’s quintessential comfort food.
In case you happen to like words and their derivations, marak katom is named for its vibrant orange color, which happens, in Hebrew, to be a completely different word (kah-tome) than the fruit (tah-pooz). Its many constituent orange vegetables, coupled with deeply yellow-orange spices, turn this soup into a phytonutrient party.
Please note that you will need an immersion blender to make Orange Soup.
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
approx 2 lbs. (1 medium) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3-4 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thick rounds
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
6-8 cups water
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. coconut cream
In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until fragrant and swirling. Add the onions and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are browning at the edges. Browned onion edges contribute a lot to the depth and flavor of soup, but burnt onions are a bummer. So keep a close eye on the onions as they near the end of the ten minutes. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon, and stir well for 30 seconds to allow the flavors to bloom. Add the cubed squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and 6 cups of water.
Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 45 minutes until vegetables are all very soft. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the salt and pepper. Allow to cool for a little while, and blend until smooth with an immersion blender. Then stir in coconut cream.
If you would like the soup to be a little thinner, you can add another cup or two of water. Serve immediately, or leave it on the counter for several hours, and then reheat just before mealtime. Serves 8-10 in bowls or 10-12 in cups.