Curried Spaghetti Squash Soup with Roasted Vegetables

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Spaghetti squash is admired for it’s spaghetti-like strands it gets when cooked and scraped from its shell. Available year round, spaghetti squash is low in calories (1 cup has 41 calories), is high in fiber and a “friend” to those on low carbohydrate diets. Today’s recipe is one that you would traditionally make in the fall/winter months. Since it was unseasonably cold and snowy last week I was craving something healthy and full of carbs. With the addition of green cardamom pods this soup has a complex flavor with a fresh lemony flavor.

•  1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, top sliced off (optional)
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 8-10 small red potatoes quartered, skin left on
• 1 spaghetti squash, left whole, prick skin with a fork
• 4-6 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Sriracha to taste (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 branches of fresh thyme and/or rosemary
• 5 cup water or broth
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparation:

 Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Place onion, garlic, sweet potato, carrots, potatoes on baking trays and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Prick spaghetti squash with a fork and place on a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 until tender. Note: spaghetti squash may need 15-20 minutes more baking time.

When spaghetti squash is cool enough to handle, cut in half, remove and discard as many seeds as possible. With a fork scrape the “spaghetti” strands out and place in a soup pot. If you like roasted garlic squeeze the garlic cloves into the soup pot. Transfer remaining vegetables to the pot and add cardamom, herbs, bay leaf, curry powder, and 5 cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and herb branches. Transfer to blender and puree soup until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and sriracha. Serve.

Serves 6

Note: Cardamom is the second most expensive spice behind only Saffron. If you can’t find it your local grocery store I’d recommend ordering from www.MySpiceSage.com