ginger carrot soup

According to one of my recipies, root vegetables are supposed to be excellent for soup making, because when blended they provide a creaminess akin to cream soups, but are still light and obviously healthier. YUM. I've seen this before in other soup recipies but never thought of it so systematically. Erich said "it smells amazing" but he still didn't want to try it (!) and made a big bowl of garlic mashed potatoes instead.

As follows:

1 pound bag carrots
2 med. potatoes
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
32 oz. low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 C. water
1 or 2 fingers ginger
black pepper
garam masala
olive oil or cooking spray
optional: 1-2 tablespoons nut butter (peanut or cashew)


Sautee 1 chopped onion and a few mashed cloves of garlic in olive oil or cooking spray for a few minutes, then add 2 chopped potatoes. You don't need to mince them, roughly 1-2 inch cubes are fine. Let it sizzle while chopping 1 or 2 fingers of fresh ginger to your taste. I used one, but next time I will probably use two because I REALLY like ginger. So much I went and found a picture of it for all of you. I also chopped it more finely, and if you're wondering, I don't peel it. The skin is coarse, and can be annoying in other dishes, but for this one it's fine. Toss it in and start on the carrots, about 1 pound bag's worth. Peel and chop (again, fairly big chunks are fine).

Add the broth, carrots, and about 2 C. water (this is really up to you, I just like to dilute it a bit). Let boil gently until carrots and potatoes are cooked through, and add any spices you want. I suggest a bit of black pepper and garam masala ( an Indian spice found in a lot of curries, but it's not hot). The onion will give it a strong bite, so if you prefer milder flavors you might only use half, and leave out the pepper. If you want to temper the spice a little, and add a nutty overtone, add the peanut butter. It won't mix in right away but it'll be taken care of when you blend it.

If you're not sure what spices you want to use, try getting out what you have, and try smelling the soup, and then the spice your thinking of using. If it's a good match they'll seem pleasant together, and if not, then, they won't. Trust your nose! It's just as much about whether you think it'll taste good as what's the "right" spice.

In case you were wondering (because I was) garam masala is actually a combination of several spices-including cloves, peppercorn, cardamon, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a little saffron.

Okay, so everything's cooked through and you're done smelling things. Stir and let it cool for about 10 minutes before blending. Since it's still hot, I only fill the blender about a third full ( if you fill it too full, you'll have a mess so be careful!) and blend in small batches (about 4) until things are evenly mixed and smooth. If you want you can strain it afterwards to catch any chunks, but there won't be too much (just put a large bowl in the sink and put the strainer on top).

You're ready to eat! If you wanted you could probably garnish it with a little sour cream and some chives, or like I did tonight, drizzle a little on a plate of oven-roasted broccoli along with my bowl.