Gingered Carrot Soup

This soup is from the Moosewood Cookbook. It is savory, beautifully colored and delicious, and not too time-consuming. I decided to make it when I realized I had 10 pounds of carrots that I hadn't even opened yet. So you can expect more carrot dishes in the days (and weeks) to come.

Anyway, this is a good, healthy soup. You'll like it. We had ours as a side dish. It ended up serving five adults and a couple kids with no leftovers (because I took the pot around and pawned off the last few scoops!)

It wasn't a true puree because my blender was dirty and my food processor is dying. You hear that Cuisinart? Anyone? Need a product tester? I will need a new food processor very soon. Seriously. But it was kind of nice to have something to chew also, so I was happy with the texture. And everyone loved it too.


Gingered Carrot Soup
Preparation time: 20 to 30 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
A thick, creamy puree that can be made with no dairy products. This soup also keeps and freezes very well, and doesn't suffer from repeated reheatings. Serve this as a thick sauce over rice for a simple supper. It also goes well with Samosas and Raita.

2 pounds carrots
4 cups water
1 tablespoon butter or oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each: cumin, ground fennel (anise), cinnamon, allspice, dried mint (I couldn't find ground fennel, so I just put some anise seeds in my mortar and pestle. I used a bit of fresh chopped mint instead of dried)
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup lightly toasted cashews
Optional: buttermilk, to drizzle on top

1. Peel and trim carrots, and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Place in a medium-large saucepan with the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer until very tender (about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the carrot pieces).

2. Meanwhile heat the butter or oil in a small skillet. Add onions, and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, salt and spices. Turn heat to low, and continue to saute for another 8 to 10 minutes, or until everything is well mingled and the onions are very soft. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Use a food processor or blender to puree everything together (including the toasted cashews-do not drain carrots). You will need to do this in several batches. Transfer the puree to a small kettle, and heat gently just before serving. If desired, pass a small pitcher of buttermilk, for individual drizzlings. (we didn't use the buttermilk).