Ginger Carrot Soup
Toward the end of summer, the carrots are ready to be pulled from the garden. I grow Danvers, Nantes, Chantenay, Purple Haze, and Rainbow carrots, to name a few—each has its own shape and deep color, but all taste of sweet earth and stored sunshine. Carrots are great straight from the ground, blanched and finished with a glaze, roasted over the grill with a brush of marinade and sprinkling of salt, or made into a soup such as this one. Dearest ate this soup hot or cold for lunch as it is filling yet low in calories. It freezes well or stays good in the refrigerator for up to a week. Homemade chicken stock makes it even better. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, use vegetable stock and omit the yogurt.
Ginger Carrot Soup
Serves 6 to 8
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1- to 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
zest from ½ an orange
12 carrots, peeled, root end removed, and roughly chopped
5 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 cup freshly squeezed
orange juice
½ cup yogurt
Directions
Heat oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, stir, and cook until translucent, about 8 minutes. Adjust heat as needed to keep the onions from browning.
Add ginger, cumin, coriander, allspice, and red pepper flakes. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes until spices are fragrant. Add orange zest, carrots, chicken stock, and orange juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Carefully purée the soup in batches in a blender or juicer, placing purée in a pot or container.
Measure the yogurt into a 2-cup measuring cup. Stir it with a spoon, then slowly add 1 cup of the soup and stir to blend. Add yogurt mixture to the soup. Taste for salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add more stock. I like the soup thick like a stew, but you might prefer it thin and light. Serve hot or chilled.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
