C is for Carrot-Ginger Soup . . .

Here’s a great way to eat more carrots and enjoy a sunny bowl of goodness on a cold January day!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbls vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, thinnly sliced
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and shredded
• one 3″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 red potato, peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup chopped cashews (optional)
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander (optional)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin (optional)
• dash ground cinnamon (optional)
• 1 tsp curry powder (optional)
• splash orange juice (optional)
• 4-6 cups vegetable stock (see recipe below for homemade gluten-free veggie stock)

 Directions

1. Heat the oil in a big soup pot.
2. Sauté the onions over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When the onions start getting tender, add the shredded carrots.  After a few minutes, add the potatoes, ginger, and cashews (if using).  Cook and stir for a few more minutes.  Add the salt and whichever of the other spices suit your fancy.
3. Once the spices start releasing their aromas, stir in the stock and the orange juice (if using).  Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are all tender.
5. Remove from heat.
6. Purée using immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender.

Serve and Enjoy!
Makes 2 quarts

Notes

• I had not intended to add curry powder, but when I went to add the cinnamon, much more “dashed” out than I had intended and the soup smelled too much like cinnamon.  Adding the curry powder covered it just enough so that it didn’t taste like dessert.  (BTW, both my cinnamon and the curry powder come from Penzey’s Spices . . . check them out for a great herb & spice selection!)
• Many recipes for carrot soup add some dairy (plain yogurt, half-and-half, sour cream) or coconut milk either at the end of cooking or when serving.  It will help cool the spicy punch of the curry.  I’m avoiding dairy so I omitted it, but feel free to add some if you are able.  The soup tasted fine without it.

Vegetable Stock

• 2 Tbls oil
• 1 onion, thinnly sliced
• 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
• 4 ribs celery, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 10 cups water

Heat the oil in a big soup pot.  Sauté the onions over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.  When the onions get tender add the carrots and celery.  Cook and stir for a few more minutes.  Add the potatoes and garlic.  Cook and stir.  Add the bay leaf and spices.  Stir to release aroma.  Finally, add the water.  Bring to a boil.  Lower heat to a simmer and cook for 1-1/2 hours.  Cool.  Strain out the vegetables with a slotted spoon.  Place 3-4 layers of cheesecloth in a strainer and strain the stock.

Makes 2 quarts.  Store in frig, use within a few days, or freeze.

Note

• Most of the time I want a clear stock, so I remove and discard all of the vegetables.  Occasionally, I leave some of them in and purée the stock rather than straining it.  If you do that, remember to locate and remove the bay leaf first!

P.S.  The focaccia in the photo was made using the recipe in Annalise Roberts’ Gluten-Free Baking Classics, 2nd Edition . . . an excellent source for recipes for GF baked goods.  More on my GF baking adventures in a future post.