Marak Katom

(Israeli Orange Soup)

Orange soup is standard fare in Israel, and it’s popular for good reason.

It tastes soooo good, it’s so good for you, and despite the long list of ingredients, it’s so easy to make.

It gets its name, not from the fruit, but from the orange vegetables that define the dish.

The basis of the soup is always the same—you start with pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes—and then you can take it from there. Every cook lends their own personality and flavor preferences. I think you’ll agree that this version is fabulous.

Adding some brown sugar is optional. Personally I like the contrasting flavors of just a little bit of sweet with just a little bit of spicy.

It’s not at all necessary, but the addition of a splash (or more) of cream makes the soup velvety smooth. If you want to make a non-dairy soup you can accomplish the same thing with full fat coconut milk. It will change the flavor somewhat, but if you love coconut as much as I do, that’s not a bad thing. If you do use coconut milk, you might add a bit of shredded coconut as a garnish at the end.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin (israeli pumpkin is white on the outside, orange within) or butternut squash

• 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

• 1 cup gold potatoes, in cubes (helps to create the creamy texture)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 ½ cups onion, diced

• 2 cups carrots, cut into rounds.

•  1 cup celery, cut into ½ inch pieces (I like to peel the celery first)

• ½ cup diced red bell pepper

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon allspice

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon cardamom

• Aleppo pepper to taste

• Optional—½-1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 10 cups vegetable, chicken, or no-chicken stock

• Optional—2 tablespoons brown sugar for a sweet soup

• Optional–whipping cream or canned coconut milk for an extra creamy soup

  Optional garnishes:

• cilantro

• za’atar

• Greek yogurt or labne

• harissa

• roasted pumpkin seeds

Method:

• Warm the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add the red pepper and cook until the onion is golden and the pepper is picking up color.

• Add the garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, for another minute.

• Add the pumpkin, the sweet potatoes, and the carrots and cook a for 5 or so minutes longer, stirring every now and again. This step encourages even more flavor to develop from the vegetables.

• Add all the spices and stir them in for a minute or two, to toast them a bit. Add the stock and the gold potato.

• Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.

• Check the vegetables. If they’re not super tender, cook the soup a bit longer.

• Using an immersion blender, purée the soup until it’s very smooth. This one is my favorite, and I’ve owned quite a few over the years. I like it much more than some that have been a lot more expensive. You can use a food processor if you haven’t got an immersion blender, but it’s a worthwhile investment because it makes the job so much easier.

• Some people like this soup with a bit more texture. If you’re one of them, purée a bit less. I like it to be as smooth as silk, so I keep whooshing until it’s slick.

• Taste the soup. Depending upon the stock you used, you may, or may not, need to add more salt. Feel free to add a little more of any of the spices to balance the flavor to your taste.

• Add the cream or coconut cream if using, and stir it in. Taste for salt again.

• Keep the soup warm until you’re ready to serve it.

• Garnish each bowl with as many of the optional garnishes as you’d like to use. Perhaps you’ll add a good idea or two of your own!