Carrot Soup that Tastes Good!

I know what you're probably thinking.  Carrot soup looks--sometimes tastes--like baby food.  BUT, this recipe makes carrot soup exciting and complex.  I got it from my sister who found it in a Maine Soup cookbook.  She was home visiting last year and made this for our family, and we all loved it.  I love exchanging recipes with other people because it opens me up to new ideas I never would have thought of on my own.  Never in a million years would I ever have picked out a carrot soup recipe on my own... honestly saying it in my head grosses me out.  But this is delicious... and you should try it!


I suggest doing all of the chopping, grating, picking, etc. before you start because it will be easier when you get to the cooking part.

First, get a whole lot of carrots...

Success.

Peel and chop 1 and a half pounds of carrots (you can do more, but just make sure to adjust liquid amounts.)  Also, peel and chop a carrot.  They can be largeish, but make sure that they are small enough that they get very tender.

You'll also need to slice one cup of shallots, grate one tablespoon of ginger (I use more- ginger is an excellent flavor), and pick two teaspoons of fresh thyme (you can use dried thyme, BUT remember that you use a third to half the amount of dried herbs that you'd use for fresh.)

Use a really large pot for this soup so it doesn't splatter.  Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter and add one cup of shallots, one teaspoon of curry powder, one bay leaf, the thyme, and one tablespoon of ginger.  Cook it over low heat until the shallots get tender and golden.  A word of caution: curry is orange... therefore, the shallots turn orange so you can't tell when they're golden... darn.  It takes about 5-10 minutes until they get tender.

I wish you could smell this: curry + ginger + shallots = delicious.  This is when it gets easy because now is when everything else is added.  Add the carrots and the potatoes, two cups of vegetable broth, a half cup of apple cider (you can use more if you want), one cup of water, one tablespoon of vegetable bouillon paste or powder, one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Bring this to a boil and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until the carrots are very soft when stuck with a fork.

Once the veggies are soft, you'll need to blend it.  You can food process it or put it into a blender, but this will need to be done in several batches.  I use an immersion blender for this.  It is a handheld blender that is much easier to clean.  It is also cheaper than a blender.

If you plan on using an immersion blender, be patient!  It takes a little while for the blade to smush the carrots and potatoes.  I start on low and move it up and down around the veggies at the beginning.  Once they are mush, I use the higher setting and stir it around the pot for at least 5 minutes.  When you turn the blender on, make sure it is in the pot or else you will be stained orange for a few days.

And voila!  It's done.  Now you can enjoy your nice, large bowl of yams... wait, I mean soup.  But seriously, this is an entire meal in itself and is a great vegetarian option.  If you're into that sort of thing.  It even has a little kick to it.  Homemade vegetable soups are seriously underrated and not that hard to make!  What is your favorite vegetable to make soup with?

Carrot Ginger Soup
3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup sliced shallots
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 cup apple cider
1 cup water
2 cups vegetable stock
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced
1 russet potato peeled and diced
1 vegetable bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon paste
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt