What to do on a Blustery Spring Weekend: How About Carrot Ginger Soup?

This weekend was a beautiful weekend to stay inside, sip tea, watch movies, and cook.  A time to rest, restore and wholly be delighted by the sights and sounds of beauty that come from the deepest recesses of the imagination.  And I took full advantage.  With the blustery cold weather I was inspired to make soup - ginger carrot soup to be exact.  It was wonderful, rich, warm, and fully delightful.  I love to eat things that actually allow me to feel I am getting healthier as I eat them.  This was definitely one of them.

I will give you the recipe as I tried it.  It needed more ginger for my taste, so there may be an updated list of ingredients at some point as I continue to test this:

3 T. unsalted butter
1 1/2 onions, peeled and chopped
4 c. chicken broth
2 pounds of carrots, ends cut off, rinsed and chopped
2 T. grated fresh ginger
2 c. 2% milk 
Salt & pepper
Plain yogurt

In a large pan melt butter over medium heat.  Add onions.  Stir and cook until onions are translucent.  Add broth, carrots and ginger.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until carrots are tender and can be pierced easily with a fork.  Let cool for 10-15 minutes.

Transfer mixture to blender in batches.  Fill blender only to approximately 1/2 full to prevent hot liquid from spurting out of the blender.  Pulse mixture then slowly advance setting to puree until smooth.  Return mixture to the pan and add milk.*  Bring soup to a boil slowly and salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls.  Garnish with dollop of organic plain yogurt (serves as good replacement for sour cream) and sprig of parsley or thyme.

* This may be better, i.e., smoother and richer with whole milk or heavy whipping cream.

The prep time is 20-25 minutes.  Cook time is ~45 minutes.

Along with this wonderful spring soup, steep your favorite tea or spring drink, fire up a movie and enjoy.  So often we are geared on being productive that we forget slowing down and enjoying great food, entertainment, the company of friends, or just the quiet of being able to breathe are some of the most restorative things we can do.  They nourish us physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.  And when we take time for these things, we are restored and made whole from the inside out and the outside in.  Enjoy.  And laugh lots.