Gingered carrot soup

This is one of the soups that impresses people the most and is one of the simplest to make. You can substitute any root vegetable in place of carrots to slightly alter the flavor. Sweet potatoes and butternut squash are great to use!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. butter
• 3 cups sliced onions
• 2 Tbsp chopped ginger
• 6 cups peeled and sliced carrots (about 1 pound)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp curry
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, cook the ginger in the butter on low for about 2 minutes then add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent.
2. Then add carrots and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
3. Add all remaining ingredients except the cream, salt and pepper.
4. Simmer for about 40 minutes.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or food processor or regular blender. (If using a regular blender, fill only half way. Remove the center of the lid and cover with a towel before turning on the machine. This will prevent steam from accumulating and making an explosive reaction, kind of like a 200 degree champagne bottle exploding in your face – NOT GOOD!)
6. Add cream and adjust seasoning with the salt and pepper.
7. You can adjust the consistency of the soup by simmering it longer to thicken it or adding broth to thin it out.

Want to share your own recipe? Email it to becca.friedman@richmondconfidential.org with the subject “Richmond Cooks”. Don’t forget a title, ingredients, directions, serving size, and a little about how the recipe came to you. Bon Apetit!