Carrot & ginger soup

Carrot & ginger soup is warming, sassy, oh-so luscious. Just as delightful as eating it: sharing it with your beloveds. I always make a big pot so I can eat some, fridge some, freeze the rest.

I have to say, storebought soups never cut it. Sugar in my soup? Overcooked to blandness? I’ll pass. I want my carrot ginger soup to be electric orange and full of vitality! So: #1 no overcooking, and #2  just a handful of ingredients.

Start with mirepoix

Pssst, have you heard? The secret is out! Start carrot and ginger soup with mirepoix. Your mirepoix will have roughly chopped onion, celery, and a high ratio of carrots. I add loads of chopped ginger. The mirepoix in the blue pot is for carrot and ginger soup: see the lazy chop? No need to get the mirepoix small when it will hit the blender.

Love yourself with carrot & ginger soup

Ginger is a panacea. It’s a “superfoods” worthy of the term.  You’ve heard me ad nauseam talk about the anti-nausea properties of ginger. It is loaded with nutrients and bioactive compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory full of antioxidants. It’s said to be effective against exercise-induced muscle pain. It has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improve various heart disease risk factors in patients with type 2 diabetes. There is some evidence that ginger can lead to significant reductions in LDL cholesterol and blood triglyceride levels. Ginger contains a substance called 6-gingerol, which may have protective effects against cancer. Ginger can protect against age-related damage to the brain. It can also improve brain function in elderly women. Also, gingerol can help lower the risk of infections.

Love thy neighbor, too

Something this healthy and delicious makes great doorstep offerings. Brighten up someone’s day!

Carrot & ginger soup

Print Recipe

 : 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 20 minutes 20 minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

a generous pat (about 2 tablespoons) butter and a swirl of olive oil (vegans skip the butter)
1½ pounds carrots, peeled (if not organic) and roughly chopped
5 celery sticks, roughly chopped
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
4 cups chicken stock  (I use low sodium and organic Better than Bullion dissolved in water). Use water if you prefer
garnish: fresh ginger grated with a Microplane

Instructions

Heat the butter in a soup pot and sweat the mirepoix and ginger, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.  Add the stock —you’ll need enough to cover the veggies plus an inch or so (to make blending easy.)  Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until the carrots are soft.

Blend the soup (in batches if you need to). Return to the pot, season with salt and taste. Adding raw ginger with a Microplane gives a delicious kick! (Cooked ginger is a "warming spice, " and raw ginger packs a nice punch!

Notes

The variations on this soup are endless: add chopped pear(Carrot, Ginger & pear Soup!) Or curry powder and a splash of cream (Carrot & Curry Soup). One of my favorite variations is to skip the ginger and blend with lemon and fresh dill for Carrot & Dill Soup.)