Castellon's Kitchen: May 2018

It's spring and I'm so excited because it's just another step closer to my favorite season...fall. People always ask me what's with all the Halloween food? The short answer is, it inspires me and it's just plain fun to dream up fun festive dishes that taste amazing. I was inspired to make this soup when I unpacked my kitchen after the remodel and found my stash of plastic vampire teeth in the cookie jar. It was instant inspiration! And the great thing about having a food blog is that I can create my own little slice of fall anytime I want. Who cares that it's spring? I'm channeling fall via Halloween, with this rich and delicious Roasted Garlic Soup which I like to call, Vampire Slayer Soup. Made with lots and lots of roasted garlic and ginger, mellowed with sweet potatoes and carrots and a touch of coconut milk, this soup screams fall with it's bright orange color and it's potent enough to slay the nearest bloodsucker. Complete protection from vampires and the common cold in a bowl. Enjoy!

🎃🎃🎃Only 170 days until Halloween...in case you were wondering. 🎃🎃🎃

Vampire Slayer Soup (Roasted Garlic Sweet Potato Soup)

(recipe adapted from Bound By Food)
Serves 6

2 T olive oil, divided
4 heads of garlic, peeled and roasted
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 large sweet potato, diced
1 medium yellow potato, diced
1 T fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 t. fresh thyme leaves
1 t. coriander
1/4 t cayenne
1 can coconut milk
salt to taste
cayenne pepper (garnish-optional)
grapeseed oil with red food coloring (garnish)
Plastic vampire teeth (garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel garlic cloves and place in foil with 1 T olive oil and fold foil to create a packet. Roast garlic cloves for 30-35 minutes or until cloves are soft and golden brown. Set aside.

Saute onions, carrots, potatoes, and ginger in olive oil until onions are translucent, ~5 minutes. Add chicken broth and continue to heat until carrots and potatoes are tender, approximately 10 minutes more. Add roasted garlic, (reserve a few garlic cloves for garnish), thyme, coriander and cayenne pepper and stir. In batches, blend vegetables and transfer back to pot. Add coconut milk and cook 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with roasted garlic cloves, cayenne and drizzle with bloody grapeseed oil.