Beet and Carrot Soup with Orange Almond Cake Recipe

Beet & Carrot Soup

6 tablespoons butter or 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium onions, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

5 cloves garlic, minced

4 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

4 to 5 medium carrots, cut into 1/2- inch dice

3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

½ medium celery root, or 2 parsnips peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup chopped dill plus several teaspoons for garnish

2 quarts chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juice

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sour cream, or strained full fat yogurt or creme fraiche for garnish

Over low heat, heat a heavy bottom soup pot, Add butter or butter-oil mixture. Add onion and garlic; sauté until soft but not browned.

Increase heat to medium-high and add beets, carrots, celery, celery root and half the dill. Sauté, adjusting heat as needed, until vegetables are cooked, but not brown, about 20 minutes.

Add stock and tomatoes with their juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until vegetables are soft, about 45 minutes.

Blend 3/4 of the soup with an immersion stick or blender. Add orange zest and juice, and remaining dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, ladle into bowls and top each with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of more dill.

Orange Almond Cake

I encourage you to cook 6-8 oranges at a time and make a puree out of them and then freeze because you will want to make this cake again and again and it is super easy when you have the oranges cooked and pureed and ready to add to the batter.

6-8 inch spring form pan or double the recipe if using a 10-12 inch- 

Note the cooking will be a solid 60 minutes if using the large er pan.

2 large oranges cut up in 8 pieces each - seeds removed 

2 oranges (can get away with one) sliced very thin- HINT: use a serated knife

8-12 thin slices of citrus (oranges, blood orange and tangerines - seeds removed- peel on)

5 eggs

2 cups ground almonds into a flour (or almond flour) 

1/2  cup of coconut sugar or 1/2 teaspoon stevia 

or 1/2 cup date puree (6 dates soak in 1/4 cup warm water and pureed)*

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 

This is for the top at the very end - if you want to add a little more flavor and sweetness.

Melt the butter add honey and some rose water or lemon juices and pour over the cake just before slicing.

3 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons lemon juice or rose water or rose syrup

Butter  a removable bottom cake pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan and place the parchment on the buttered bottom. 

DO THIS AHEAD or PLAN 2 additional hours 

Wash the 2 large oranges that are cut into 8 pieces each and place in a pot and cover with water and simmer them, with the peels, for 2 hours. 

Make sure the oranges stay submerged in the water. Cool. Puree the oranges, including the peel, in a food processor. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Arrange the citrus slices over the bottom of a spring form pan overlapping to cover the bottom. 

Mix the almond flour, baking powder, salt  and cinnamon together in a bowl.

In a blender puree the oranges. If you need the liquid, go ahead and blend the eggs by adding them to the oranges in the blender. Add the sweetener or your choice 

(6 dates soak in 1/4 cup warm water and pureed) )

Add the vanilla to the egg mixture.

Add the orange/egg mixture to the flour mixture, 

 Pour into the pan covering the citrus.  

Turn the oven down to 375. 

Bake for 45 mins to one hour (depending on the size of the cake pan)  or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the tin before turning out. Place a plate over the the cake and invert.

Serve with seasonal berries and whipped cream or cashew cream

For Cashew Cream

1 cup of cashews soaked in 2 cups warm water 4 hours or overnight

1/8 cup coconut sugar or 2 droppers full of stevia 

2 teaspoons vanilla

Drain and rinse the soaked cashews and add to the blender along with 1/2 a cup cold water. Blend until the cashews are a smooth paste, and have a smooth texture. Add vanilla and sweeter and blend until well combined.

Sugar is not an option for a healthy life and stevia is a safe and healthy sugar substitute that can sweeten up foods without the negative health effects linked to refined sugar. It's also associated with health benefits, and should be considered the first choice for baking. Use stevia that uses organic stevia leaf or extract only. Do not use the highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside