Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

This afternoon I felt like calling up the neighbor girl and asking her if she could go outside and play.  We could ride bikes, pretend we’re witches, convince my little sister to eat dirt mixed with glitter, transform the swing set into a time machine, or collect roly-pollies in a jar with holes poked in the lid... because they breath air like us, right?  For some reason, the start of school and this gloomy almost-fall weather are making me homesick for being a kid again.


But the neighbor girl is all grown up, and I am too, at least when I look in the mirror.  So this evening, instead of calling the neighbor girl, I made soup... because that's what grown-ups do.

Last weekend, I picked a dozen carrots from my vegetable garden.  To make the soup, I roasted the carrots for extra sweetness.  You may be tempted to skip the soup and just eat roasted carrots for dinner.  If you can resist, the soup is delicious too.  Enjoy with some crusty bread... or chips and guacamole if you are inheriting your big sister's pregnancy cravings.  Once my nephew is born, I'll come up with a better excuse.  Glitter garnish optional.

Stuff that is orange

P.S.  Neighbor girl is named Katie.  She grew up to be a talented jazz singer and bass player.  And if anyone can give me the correct spelling of roly-pollies, you will be my hero.


Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 pounds of carrots, peeled
• olive oil (for roasting carrots)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 small apple, peeled and sliced
• 4 to 5 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth
• pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Slice the carrots at an angle into 1 1/2-in long slices.
3. Toss carrots with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the carrots in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Roast the carrots until browned and tender, about 20-30 minutes.
5. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot over medium heat.  Saute the chopped onions until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the ginger and garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Then add the apples and the roasted carrots and saute for 3 minutes.
6. Add the broth to the veggies and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
7. Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth.  Make sure to allow the steam to escape from the lid of the blender.  Pour the soup back in the pot.  Add additional broth if desired to achieve a thinner consistency.  Add a pinch of nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste.