Carrot Ginger Soup

1998 was the first Christmas that Heston and I were not traveling to be with family.  I was pregnant with Talbot who was due February 2, and it wasn’t safe to fly.  This was the year we stayed in Boston, MA and had Christmas dinner at the Jamaica Plain house with the triplets family, we were introduced to cranberry/lime slushed ice as a dessert as well as carrot ginger soup.  The carrot ginger soup has been a Christmas dinner tradition ever since!  20 years later and we still smile as we start the dinner of with this part of the meal. (  This and French Onion soup of course.)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 cups water
• green onions or chopped herbs, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Saute the carrots, onion, and salt in melted butter over medium heat until softened (let them sweat, but don’t brown), about 10 minutes.
2. Add the ginger, orange zest, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes (or until carrots are tender).
3. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to desired consistency (alternatively, you may do this in batches in a traditional blender).
4. Check seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with green onions or herbs, if desired. If you want the soup chilled, refrigerate for about two hours before serving.

NOTES

• This recipe makes enough to serve 4
• Make a double batch and freeze it for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
• For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter.
• Blend this with and immersion blender.  In order to get a very smooth result, I recommend holding the blender at a slight angle from the bottom of the pot. If this causes it to sputter, just tilt the pot so the soup is deeper where the blender is. This will speed up the blending process and make sure every morsel gets pureed for the smoothest, creamiest consistency.
• I like to add a dash of heavy cream in at the end for good measure
• This soup can be eaten both hot or cold