I haven’t posted a recipe in ages! If you’re already stuffed full with holiday sweets and are actually craving something healthy for balance (!) or you have a cold storage room brimming with carrots (or both), here goes:
Roasted Carrot Soup
8 large carrots, peeled, sliced into 1″ medallions
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp fresh gingerroot, peeled and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 cup milk, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover a baking sheet with a piece of baking parchment. Combine chopped carrots and olive oil in a small bowl and mix until the carrots are covered in the oil. Spread the carrots out on the baking sheet in a single layer. Place in hot oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and turn the carrots; roast another 20 minutes. Remove from oven and use in recipe. (You can also cool the carrots, then refrigerate them until ready to use).
To make the soup:
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large saucepan. Add onion and saute gently until onion is soft. Add roasted carrots, gingerroot, garlic, and broth. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and use an immersion blender to carefully puree the hot vegetables and broth. Wear a welder’s helmet, apron, and arm guards if you’re not good with the blender, and be prepared to call a professional cleaning service that specializes in disaster restoration to deal with the carrot spray all over your kitchen tile. (This safety recommendation comes from someone who has a tendency to make a gigantic mess in the kitchen – I remember when I was a kid and I’d “help” my Mum whip cream. Four days after an “episode,” she’d still find whipped cream on the chandelier, in the boot closet, and on the door handle of the car parked in the driveway).
At any rate, to finish:
Place the soup back on the burner and add the milk, if using. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir and cook just until reheated, then ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley. Yield: 2 large servings or 4 small ones.
Note: If you are a big fan of the flavour of ginger, feel free to add a bit more to this recipe, as it can easily handle it.