Carrot Ginger Soup

Soups appear often in my kitchen over the winter months. A quick lunch or an easy dinner, soup can satisfy your hunger AND still keep you in line with your new year’s resolutions to eat healthy foods.  This carrot soup was inspired by a cooking class my friend and I attended recently. The class was complementary but turned out to be more of a cooking demo rather than an instruction-packed class. One of the foods shared was a carrot ginger soup—the “cooking” consisted of pouring the company’s soup base into the blender, adding chicken stock, and then blending the soup together. Their soup was delicious but the price tag on their soup base was more than I could see spending on a quick meal. So I recreated the flavors at home, hope you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups chicken stock
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Cook the onions for a few minutes in a dutch oven with a Tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to cook for another two to three minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Puree with an immersion blender. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken stock to thin the consistency.

Serve with croutons if you wish.