The recipe below is the vegan version of a carrot ginger soup with potential substitutions in parentheses. I tend to adjust quantities as I cook, but I know these ratios below make a wonderfully smooth and creamy soup. Make your own soup thicker or thinner, tarter or sweeter, milder or spicier, etc... The recipe can be halved to make less than a full pot. Adding curry powder or yellow Thai curry paste would easily make a Curry Carrot version (yum). This soup tastes great hot and even lukewarm--a winner for all seasons.
Sunshine Soup (Carrot Ginger)
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs of whole carrots, peeled and chopped in chunks
- One white onion, chopped
- I added two small sweet potatoes to today's batch, peeled and chopped, but this is optional
- A bunch of garlic, chopped
- A sizeable knob of ginger, peeled and chopped--I prefer light ginger, so add more at this stage if you want "ginger forward" flavor
- One seeded and chopped jalapeno or Thai chili, depending on your/friends' spice tolerance
- Coconut oil or olive oil--enough to saute onions and garlic (substitute butter if desired)
- A carton of vegetable broth (or chicken if desired)
- Two cans of coconut milk (milk or cream if desired)--Note: this soup can also be made WITHOUT coconut milk if that's not your jam--to keep it vegan, add more broth to reach desired consistency at the blender stage
- Salt to taste
- 1TBS turmeric
- 1/2 to 1 cup citrus juice--I squeezed orange into the soup initially and then lime and lemon into later to taste, making it "brighter"
Making the Soup:
- In a sizeable pot, saute onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeno in oil until onions are tender/translucent
- Add carrots (and optional sweet potato), turmeric, and juice; saute for a bit and then add broth
- Bring vegetables in broth to a boil and then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until carrots are soft/easily cut through with a spoon
- Remove pot from heat; add a can of coconut milk and stir
- Blend with immersion blender (or in portions in a blender) until smooth. My soup was too thick without the second can of coconut milk and was perfect after I added it. Blend until smooth and creamy. At this stage I added more citrus in squeezes until the soup tasted just right (IYKYK--and it's your own taste buds that know :))
Possible Garnishes/Toppings:
- I like a little dash of carraway seed with my carrot soup--pictured above. Crunchy roasted chick peas are also awesome
- A friend who received this soup added her own seed mix on top for some crunch/texture, including pumpkin, sunflower, chia, and hemp seeds (this friend also claims the soup makes a great salad dressing!?)
- Cilantro (or a dollop of cilantro lime pesto?) would be delicious too, along with some sour cream/yogurt
- French fried/crunchy onions
Warm sunshiney hugs come in many versions and forms. I hope you give and receive many!
