The healthy DOLE recipes continue!
This is a Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup that we got to enjoy at the DOLE Summit. The soup is vegan and gluten-free, while still remaining creamy and thick. There’s also an unexpected ingredient; DOLE Mandarin Oranges, that give it a little extra flavor! Paulette Lambert, R.D. also added a dollop of nonfat Greek yogurt atop of our soups which is of course optional, but totally delicious!
Gingered Carrot and Orange Soup
Recipe By: Paulette Lambert, R.D., CDE
Serves 8
Calories per serving: 95
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
2 quarts reduced sodium, fat-free, organic vegetable broth
1 cup DOLE Mandarin Oranges, drained
1 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain, non-fat Greek yogurt (optional)
2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Saute carrots, onions and ginger until soft. Add broth and simmer until carrots are fork-tender. Working in batches, puree Mandarin oranges and cooked vegetables in a blender, food processor or use an immersion blender (or your Vitamix! Just add to blender at this step then puree until smooth and very hot, continuing on with step four). Return soup to Dutch oven. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold. Garnish with Greek yogurt and chopped cilantro.
Love this adorable chopping block from DOLE to chop my ingredients! This bamboo 
Last month Natural Delights asked me if I would be a guest judge for the recipe contest at the Annual Yuma Medjool Date Festival! Me, a guest judge? WHATTT?! So cool! I love everyone at Natural Delights and I loveeee dates, so I was really excited to visit Yuma again for the festival. Brett (my lovely bunny model) also came along for the festival!
The trip started off with necessary bathroom mirror selfies (should I say us-ie?). We’re such girls.
Then we boarded the plane and prepared for takeoff.
Unfortunately our plane had different plans as our right engine started smoking! Sooooo we deplaned waited for a new aircraft.
I don’t know if I have talked about my bad luck with planes before, but I am literally always delayed, cancelled, or end up with a broken plane!
After our new plane arrived we were off to Yuma, AZ!
First cactus sighting at the airport!
The next morning, Brett and I woke up to a gorgeous Arizona sunrise and enjoyed coffee and breakfast at our hotel before heading to the festival.
We got to meet Miss Medjool! SO FREAKING AWESOME!
Brett and I had some free time to roam around the festivals so for our first stop, we explored the gallery where they had gorgeous photos of the Medjool date growers from Natural Delights.
They even had Medjool date art created by local kids! Seriously too cute for words!
Had to take a photo with the giant fork in downtown Yuma, because Im cool like that.
Brett and I made our way to the 
Our shakes were to die for! We downed them within minutes.
Standing with the recipe contest sign! Eeeeeeek!
Then it was time for the main event; the recipe contest. Look at the excitement on my face, it just screams “DATESSSSSS!”
We got to try so many incredible recipes submitted by local date enthusiasts.
And the winner wasssssss: the most incredible salty sweet cheese loaf with date and nut coating. The judges and I couldn’t get enough!
All of the Judges and the winner of the 2013 Recipe Contest!
To end an already amazing day, I did an on camera interview speaking about using dates for natural healthy sweetener in lightened up recipes! Brett and I had so much fun sampling dates from all of the vendors and getting to hangout with the Natural Delights team. It’s always a tasty and fun time visiting Natural Delights!
Greetings from my hobbit hole!
