This beautiful orange soup is incredibly nurturing on a cold day. The squash, carrots, and sweet potatoes get their orange color from carotenoids, plant pigments that are converted to vitamin A in the body. All these veggies provide hearty doses of Vitamin C, folate, and fiber.

I often enjoy this soup topped with lightly roasted pumpkin seeds for a crunchy, nutritious addition. For a well-rounded meal, serve the soup with a whole grain or a slice of warm whole-grain bread, a protein (lentils, tofu, salmon, or chicken), and dark leafy greens.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 medium to large butternut squash
• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 8 cups water, plus extra for baking squash
• 8 medium carrots
• 3 slices of fresh ginger, a quarter-inch thick
• 1 (13 or 14-ounce) can of coconut milk
• ½ Tablespoon nutmeg
• ½ Tablespoon coriander
• ½ Tablespoon allspice
• 2 teaspoons sea salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, and place it cutside down on a baking sheet. Add ¼ inch of water.

Clean and scrub the sweet potatoes, pierce them deeply with a fork, and place on a separate baking sheet.

Bake the squash and the sweet potatoes until soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

While the squash and sweet potatoes are cooking, place 8 cups of water in a large soup pot and begin heating on high.

Scrub the carrots, chop off and discard both ends, and chop into 2-inch pieces.Add the carrots and ginger to the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the carrots and ginger rest in the vegetable broth that’s been created. When the squash and sweet potatoes are baked, remove them from the oven and let them cool. Scoop out the flesh of the squash and add it to the soup pot.

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into pieces, and add them to the soup.

Add the coconut milk, spices, and salt.

Blend the mixture in a blender or in the pot with a wand mixer until smooth.

Adapted from