Fall Medley Soup

Aromatics

That's the name I came up with on the fly.  This soup was so good, and what I loved is that none of the ingredients are impossible to find (a huge plus if you live in rural Alaska).

Ingredients:
1 bag baby carrots, chopped
1/2 onion
2 braeburn apples, peeled and chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
3 cups of Red Mill veggie soup mix (alternatives: red lentil, brown lentil, split pea mix, or any variation of lentils, or split peas alone. It should be a type of dried bean that needs no pre-soaking)

Fall colors

9 cups water
2 cans veggie broth
1 can pumpkin puree
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Gorgonzola cheese, for topping

Boil beans in salted water for 30 minutes.  In the meantime, chop the apple, onion, carrots, and yam and sautee in olive oil to create aromatics. Once tender, remove from heat and set aside. (Note: The yam will cook faster and be easier to peel if you boil it in water for ten minutes and then let it cool before peeling and chopping and adding to aromatics blend.)

Once beans are boiled, add water, pumpkin puree, veggie broth, and the sauteed fruit and vegetables.  Bring to boil.  Add spices.  Allow to simmer for half an hour or more, until flavors are well-blended.  Serve topped with gorgonzola.  (Trust me when I say, the gorgonzola adds so much awesomeness to this recipe.)

It does look quite a bit like baby poop, but I promise, it's good superfood.

(A lot of) gorgonzola on top!