Experience Deeper: Purple Carrot and Nettle Soup

This silky carrot soup is more than just an easy and nourishing meal: it’s a reminder of the ways to make even the most mundane into magic.

New to foraging? Learn more about ethical and safe foraging (plus how to get started) here!

The feeling of wonder is most often provoked by a new experience, by encountering something for the first time. That’s why you see it dance onto the faces of children so much more than adults. Children are constantly stumbling upon the novel and unexpected, whether it’s a pretty flower or a new flavor. As we grow older, we start to lose that connection to wonder as things become more and more familiar. But allow me to let you in on a little secret: just a tiny bit below the surface, our familiar world is new once again. There is more detail in a 1” cube of soil than we could explore completely in our entire lifetime! There are currents of depth and flavor waiting to be discovered in the music we love or the foods we eat. There are ephemeral wonders like delicate frost crystals that can surprise and delight before melting back into the “familiar.” We are surrounded by constant change, even if at first it seems subtle. What color was that leaf yesterday? What’s that new smell on the breeze? 

I challenge you: go deeper. The next time you listen to your favorite song, peer past the melody and lyrics to feel what is happening in the rest of the sound. Can you hear a deep bass beat? The dance of a horn? How many instruments can you pick out? Can you envision the way all of these separate parts dance together to create something that fills you with joy? And, after all of that, does your experience of listening to that song change at all? 

Next time you eat a meal, dive past the immediate flavors and look for the undertones and depth. Is that umami holding together the soup you are eating? What is that subtle hint of spice? What parts or combinations taste the most harmonious? Did that surprise you? Does eating a meal with this level of attention physically feel different than eating while your mind is on other things? 

Next time you go on a walk, look at the ground. Notice the plant growing up through the pavement. Look for the footprints of animals or interesting soles. Wander until you find something that calls to you, then get low. Sit down or lay on your stomach and look at the earth from the perspective of a squirrel or lizard. Do you see the way the dewdrops on moss glimmer? The teensy mushrooms on the underside of the branch above you? The tiny shell fragments that make up the sand you’ve been walking on? How many different fascinating things can you find in your immediate surroundings? How does it feel to notice them? 

Then, look up. What shapes do you see in the clouds? Are the stars out tonight? Can you feel the majesty of infinite exploration? The awe of being at once so tiny in the impossible vastness of the beyond while also containing universes within yourself? 

I think by now you probably get the picture, the idea that wonder is absolutely everywhere if we pause and shift our awareness enough to be open to it. This single, simple practice alone has changed my life. Now, I can find wonder anywhere. Even from my bed on bad sick days as I watch the tiny rainbows from a suncatcher slowly move across the wall. Even in a hospital room. Even in an ambulance. 

Hardship and pain are parts of life and to deny yourself the accompanying emotions is to repress and to lie. But there’s a balance to that, too, and it is the mindful pursuit of wonder. I think we tend to think of big occasions as being the parts of our life that fill us with joy - milestones like graduations, weddings, rewards, promotions. These certainly can bring us joy! But think back to the last time you felt truly, deeply happy. I bet it was likely a moment of simple wonder - maybe biting into the last peach of the season or just sitting in the autumnal breeze. Happiness, wonder, and zest for life are built on these little moments, and it’s those little moments that get us through the hardships and the suffering. Learning to tap into those hidden wonder-worlds now can shift your perception so that when hardship hits, you know how to look for the lifebridge to get you through. Just look deeper. There is always something new to find. Wonder is everywhere. I promise. 

Purple Carrot Nettle Soup: 

Carrot soup is a simple fall staple, a comfort food that requires little time or attention to make something cozy and filling. But when you look at it just a bit deeper, you can re-engineer subtle parts of it to make it extra delicious and memorable! 

Adding nettles to the broth base gives this soup a pleasant mineral depth (not to mention plenty of extra nutrients, plus the wonderful time spent in the woods foraging for this special ingredient!) Swapping the customary orange carrots and white potatoes for their anthocyanin-rich purple counterparts gives this soup a color as vibrant as its flavor. And finally, a garnish of a radish moon and cheese stars adds the perfect dash of whimsy to bring out childlike smiles from anyone you serve it to. 

Nettle Broth: 

2 c. dried nettle leaves or 4 c. fresh and chopped (wear gloves) 

1 stick of celery, chopped

4 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 square of kombu

Add all of the ingredients to a medium pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then strain and use in the recipe below!

Purple Carrot and Nettle Soup

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. cooking oil

1/2 purple onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

4 purple carrots, chopped (about 1 1/2 c.)

2 purple potatoes, cut into small cubes (1 1/2 c.)

32 oz nettle broth or chicken broth plus salt to taste

flavored salt, for garnish (I used my nettle seed salt)

thin slices of cheese, for garnish

Directions: 

Add the oil to a heavy-bottomed soup pot and sauté the onion until it's barely translucent. Add the garlic and coriander and cook until fragrant. Add the broth and veggies and turn the heat up so the mixture boils. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Puree into a smooth soup. To garnish, I sprinkled on a flavorful salt and cut stars from thin slices of cheese. A radish slice moon was the perfect crunchy treat to make this soup extra special. 

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