Gingered Carrot Soup

When the carrots come out of the garden in the fall, all sweet and crunchy, one of the first things Steve asks for is Gingered Carrot Soup. 

I think I originally got this recipe from a magazine. Though my pre-menopausal brain won’t recall exactly which one, I think it may have been Food and Wine. It was many years ago now and I’ve probably been making this recipe since the early 90’s.

Anyway, it has become a winter staple for us. Made with fresh garden carrots and fresh squeezed orange juice it is to die for, but it is great even with juice from concentrate and carrots that are store bought. If your garden carrots are beginning to look a little long in the tooth, it is a good way to use them up. Either way, the addition of homemade bone broth and the vitamin C from the orange juice will increase the nutrients in this soup. 

I like to add a little sprinkle of pan toasted pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds) for a bit of added crunch.

This soup freezes well too so you can make it when your fall produce is fresh and save it for those dark wintery days when its bright orange colour, fresh flavour and kick of ginger are welcome.

Gingered Carrot Soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 6

Author: Mia Staysko

This bright orange and warmly spiced soup is perfect for a winter lunch. Serve it with crunchy pepitas.

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Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp grass fed butter or ghee
• 1 C sliced leek white and light green parts only
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 lbs about 9 large carrots, peeled if not fresh and cut into 1" lengths
• 2 C chicken broth or bone broth
• 2 C fresh orange juice
• Salt white pepper to taste

Optional

• 1/4 C chopped fresh mint
• Raw pepitas pumpkin seeds pan toasted till brown

Instructions

1. Set a large dutch oven or soup pot over med-high heat. Sauté leek and garlic in butter until tender, about 4 minutes. Watch that the garlic does not burn.
2. Add carrots and sauté until coated with butter.
3. Stir in broth and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes until carrots are very tender.
5. Puree with immersion blender or carefully transfer to blender to puree in batches and then return to pot.
6. Stir in orange juice and season with salt and pepper
7. Stir in mint if using (I never do)

Garnish

1. Toast a handful of pepitas in a medium hot pan until light brown and beginning to pop. Watch the pan carefully as they will burn! Serve on the side or top each serving with a little handful.

Recipe Notes

This soup is fairly high in sugar due to the orange juice so those on restrictive diets should be aware.

Adapted from Food and Wine Magazine