Warm and Orange for a Cold Spring Day

Here’s another recipe that tastes much better than its basic ingredients suggest and that loads nutrients into a bowl of fun food.

You’ll notice a wide choice of dairy products suggested. The one you use may depend on what’s available or the experience of which soup you like best. And, of course, non-dairy creamy liquids are available to those who avoid what the cows produce.

It’s written for stovetop cooking, but if you simply want to load a crock pot and go away, allow 4 – 6 hours (depends on your pot).

Carrot Soup

Serves 4 heartily

Ingredients

2 pounds carrots. If you peel them, the soup is a very bright orange.
4 cups stock or water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 potato, peeled and chopped
3 – 4 TBSP butter
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1/3 cup chopped cashews or almonds
1 – 1 1/2 cups milk; yogurt; buttermilk plus a little honey; half-and-half; or heavy cream; or 1/4 cup sour cream.
2 pinches nutmeg, 1/2 tsp dried mint; a dash of cinnamon; 1 tsp each marjoram, thyme and basil; or 1 tsp grated fresh ginger – you decide the soup’s herbs.

Bring to a boil carrots, potato, and salt with broth or water. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Add herbs of choice and cool.

Sauté onion, garlic, and nuts in butter until onions are transparent.

Purée until smooth.

Just before serving, add a dairy product and reheat piping hot.

Garnish with toasted nuts, toasted bread crumbs, or chopped cilantro.