Ginger Carrot Soup

I have been wanting to try Earthbound Farm's Ginger Carrot Soup recipe for a very long time.  With this sale I was able to pick up 4 bags of organic carrots for free.  I've made 2 batches of this delicious soup!  Freezing the second batch for future lunches.

Ginger Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons canola oil or olive oil

1 piece (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

4 cups peeled, sliced carrots (about 1 1/4 lb.)

5 cups vegetable stock or low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup orange juice

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Creme fraiche or sour cream, as garnish

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Note: I used only a two inch piece of ginger in the second batch and liked it better. I couldn't taste the carrots in the first batch. Too much ginger for my taste buds.

Add the carrots, stock and juice. For the stock I substituted 3 Knorr vegetable bouillon cubes & 5 cups water. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 45 minutes.

Puree the soup in the saucepan using an immersion blender. Or allow the soup to cool a bit, then puree it in a blender or food processor and return it to the saucepan. If you like a smoother texture, pass the pureed soup through a sieve.

Add the nutmeg, plus salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin it with more water or stock.

To serve the soup chilled, refrigerate it until cold, at least 6 hours or up to 5 days. To serve the soup warm, heat it slowly over medium-low heat. Serve the soup garnished with a spoonful of creme fraiche. If desired, create a swirl pattern in the soup by dragging the tip of a knife or fork through the white creme fraiche into the orange soup. Note: I tried to get fancy with our soup bowls but I just couldn't get the sour cream to 'swirl'. I think if the sour cream was at room temp. first I may have had better luck. :)

This was such a bright and cheery soup to serve , a perfect foil for our blank landscape outside. The flavor was amazing! I strongly recommend trying this recipe. I actually 'felt' healthier eating this soup!