Carrot Soup with Ginger-Dairy Free

Adding ginger to this carrot soup gives a zing of fresh ginger and complements the sweetness of cooked carrots in this refreshing soup. We are big fans of soups in the winter and continue to follow my family’s winter tradition of soup eating during the cold winter months. Yes even here in the Dallas area. Eating a large salad with an entrée of soup and a slice of homemade bread, or just eating many bowls of nourishing soup for dinner is not uncommon in our house. I had two Ginger Soup recipes with slight variations, one of them on a recipe card and the other recipe comes from a wonderful book called The Complete Guide of 400 Soups*. I came up with my own version of Carrot Soup with Ginger. Adding potatoes to puréed soups is a great way to thicken soups. Even if you are not a fan of ginger but love carrots this is a wonderful variation.

Ingredients

4 TBSP butter or coconut oil

1 onion chopped

1 3 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and coarsely chopped (about ¼ cup)

5-6 cups sliced carrots or more if you desire

2-3 small to medium potatoes, diced

10 cups of vegetable or chicken stock or broth

2 oranges, peeled and in pieces

Pinch of nutmeg

Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

Crème fraiche for garnish, optional

• Melt the butter and add chopped onion and let cook on medium heats for five minutes and stir occasionally until the onion is soft.
• Stir in the cut up potatoes, carrots, ginger, orange pieces and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Then reduce the low heat and let simmer with cover on. This may take about 20-25 minutes.
• Pour the soup into the food processor or Vita-Mix blender and process until smooth. You may want to let the soup cool before blending or processing. I had to blend in 3 batches. You may also prefer to use a vegetable mill to purée the soup.
• Once everything is blended or processed, return everything into the stock pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat gently to serve. This soup can also be served cold. Just chill soup in the refrigerator until cold, at least 6 hours (up to five days) and then serve.
• If you wish to garnish with a spoonful of crème fraiche, simply drizzle the crème on top of the soup and then create a swirl pattern by dragging the tip of a knife or fork through the crème fraiche.
• Options: celery can be added, leeks can be added instead of onion, 1 cup fresh orange juice instead of oranges. To make vegetable stock if I don’t have any on hand, I add my Frontier Coop Organic vegetable broth powder to my water.  For gluten free, simply avoid the crème fraiche.

Makes 8 servings or 2 meals for 4 people.

* Although there are some recipes using unclean foods in this cookbook, I have been blessed with making many nourishing soups.

This Recipe was shared with
Tuesday Twister at GNOWFLINS
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Hearth and Soul at A Moderate Life 
Penny Wise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet

Are you a soup lover also?  Have you made a carrot ginger soup with other variations?