Curried Carrot Ginger Soup with Coconut Coriander “Crème Fraîche”

January is National Soup Month, and one restaurant in downtown SLO always has soup on its menu — usually a delectable vegetarian soup, and sometimes even a vegan version. The “Soup do Novo,” or soup of the day, at Novo Restaurant & Lounge is a flavorsome option for a pick-up on a chilly winter day, made with market vegetables from Central Coast farmers.

“I like soup year-round but the slightly colder weather does leave most of us craving that warm bowl of comfort,” Novo Executive Chef Michael Avila says. “Come January, we start to see more “winter” vegetables — lots of roots and tubers, some local wild mushrooms, and many others. Most winter vegetables work great for soups.”

Robin Covey opened Novo in the old Cigar Factory building on San Luis Creek in 2003. His desire was to create fare that was locally-grown but internationally-inspired. Covey made it part of his mission to support local farmers, and luckily, SLO County’s farms provide Novo with ample year-round produce. From creamy avocados to honeyed strawberries, little gem lettuces to hearty Bloomsdale spinach, Novo has long provided beautiful market vegetables to a hungry downtown audience on its scenic outdoor patio.

For Avila, working at Novo has been an ideal berth for his ambitious culinary dreams. “I’m a person who gets bored easily and I can honestly say that I don’t think that could ever happen in the kitchen here at Novo,” the chef says. “There are just too many great opportunities sitting on the spice rack here.” Avila says that with the Novo menu, he has free reign to choose any flavor profile from around the world. The menu features a wide selection, including Thai curry, Vietnamese spring rolls, Korean short ribs and Italian pappardelle al limon.

But it’s also been a family, Avila says. “A great restaurant starts with great ownership. The owners of Novo are some of the hardest working people I know. Not only are they great business owners but they are great friends, bosses and parents to everyone here. They truly care as much for the dishwasher as they do for any other employee.” Avila says that care is reflected in the food. “We cook every dish with the love that you would add to a dish for family — nothing less.” Novo, Avila says, seeks to infuse comfort not only into the food, but into the atmosphere and hospitality as well.

When it comes to comfort, Avila loves adding spices and herbs to soup to give it a warming winter kick. When he concocted this vegan carrot ginger soup, he sought to marry not just health and taste, but also to add diverse tastes and make use of both fresh herbs from a bountiful garden. Avila was working as an executive chef for the first time, and had a one-and-a-half acre garden from which he grew and harvested “an enormous amount of carrots — all shapes, sizes and colors.”

Chef Avila’s process was both seasonal and timeless. “It was winter and I needed a way to use all of these beauties,” he says, referring to his many-colored carrots. “Soup was my first thought.”

Avila wanted to provide a healthy vegan soup for the conscious yogis practicing at the resort where he was working as an executive chef, but he found his initial formula a little lackluster. The chef wanted to add spice and creaminess to make his carrot ginger a purely craveable soup. After adding in coconut milk and chili peppers to his magic cauldron, he knew he was on his way — but not quite there. Blending in some curry spices and ginger made a flavorful soup with a little heat, but Avila says he knew it needed some extra refinement. Finally, he settled upon garnishing his soup with fresh herbs, carrot tops, and chili oil, which heightened not only flavor, but also appearance. “After all, we eat with our eyes first,” Avila says.

But Avila still wasn’t done. A crème fraîche was just what the dish needed, but after he made it, he worried that “the vegans or lactose-intolerent would be left out or couldn’t enjoy the dish entirely.” When he came up with his coconut milk crème fraîche, he was inspired to make it by the thick cream that had settled at the top of a can of coconut milk. Now Avila knew his recipe would be beloved by all.

The vibrant, piquant flavors of this soup, created by Chef Avila, will awaken your senses during a quiet January.