Turkish Walnut Soup for One

This is my new comfort food. It whips up fast, it’s refreshing and creamy at the same time, and the interesting combination of sweet and savory will keep your taste buds dancing until the soup is gone.

¼ cup shelled walnuts

1 TBLSP olive oil

1 shallot, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

½ orange, zested and juiced (about 1/3 cup juice, 1 ½ TBLSP zest)

1 pinch ground cinnamon

1 cup vegetable stock or water

2 TBLSP plain soy yogurt

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

1. Roast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and g fragrant. Put the walnuts on a cutting board to cool slightly, the chop them coarsely.
2. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallot and garlic, and cook until the shallots have softened and become translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped walnuts, orange zest, juice, and cinnamon, and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 1 minute.
4. Puree the mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender with a few TBLSP of the stock or water. 
5. Return to the saucepan and add in the rest of the stock or water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat, stir in the yogurt, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
7. Garnish with chopped cilantro, if you like.