Yes, I know that the Super Bowl is this weekend. A day that requires manly food for a manly game.
And yes, I know that carrot soup flavored with apples and lots of fresh ginger probably isn’t considered too manly in most circles.
There are plenty of recipes here at Idiot’s Kitchen for heartier dishes like this awesome Chili and also White Bean Chicken Chili. And for you meat eaters, it’s hard to get more carnivorous than BBQ Beef Brisket or BBQ Ribs.
So I suggest that you think of this lovely Carrot Ginger Soup this way: If you eat a nice bowl of this delicious, vegetarian soup with a big green salad on Friday or Saturday, you’ll lay the healthy foundation for eating wings, chili, ribs, and all those tailgate classics on Sunday while you watch the game.
Do we have a plan?
Good. Here’s what you need:
Carrots, Onion, Garlic, Apple, Ginger, Orange, Olive Oil, Vegetable Broth, Water (not pictured), Nutmeg, Salt & Pepper.
Click here for a Carrot Ginger Soup Shopping List
Carrots – and lots of them! Peel 2 pounds of carrots.
Then cut them into small carrot coins. No need to be too precise here. Just try to get them about the same size so they all cook at the same rate.
Chop up one large onion….about 1 1/2 – 2 cups. Again, it’s soup…no need for precise measurements.
Fresh ginger keeps this from being a sweet flavored soup. Ginger gives that peppery tang and big burst of flavor. Peel a big hunk of ginger – about 2 – 3 inches long.
Using a microplane or other fine grater, grate the ginger. Grating will keep someone from biting into a big old piece of ginger. It also creates a bit of ginger juice which has tons of flavor.
If you are hesitant about the ginger flavor, use a bit less and then add more after you taste the soup. For me, the more ginger, the better.
Finely chop 1 – 2 cloves of garlic.
In a large soup pot, heat 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes until tender but not browned.
Dump in all the other vegetables – the carrots, grated ginger, and minced garlic. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth.
Also add 2 cups of water. I like the combination of water and broth as it keeps the broth from overwhelming the delicate flavor of the carrots. It also helps keep the sodium level down. You can always add salt to season to your own taste.
Bring the soup up to a boil. While you wait for that to happen, peel a large apple – I’m using a Granny Smith apple – and cut it into cubes.
Add the apple to the soup. When it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender.
If you have an immersion blender (probably my favorite kitchen gadget other than my big mixer), you can blend the soup right in the pot.
If you don’t, work in small batches and blend the soup in a food processor or blender. If you’re using a blender, be careful with the hot liquid and remember to never fill the blender jar more than half full as hot liquids expand. Keep a firm grip with a kitchen towel on top of the lid to keep from redecorating your kitchen with carrot soup.
When blended, the soup becomes smooth and silky. You might need to add more broth or water (I added about 1 cup more) if the soup is too thick.
To add a little more zip, grate the zest from 1/2 an orange right into the soup.
Add the juice from half the orange as well. If you want a pronounced orange flavor, you can add more juice and/or zest.
Season the soup with a pinch of nutmeg, salt & pepper.
If you want to be really decadent, add a little heavy cream to the soup too. Or leave it healthy and orange just like it is.
I love this soup. There’s a lot of flavor packed into one little bowl.
Here’s the recipe: Adapted from the fabulous Joy the Baker
2 Responses
Holy cats, I made (nearly) this exact soup WEDNESDAY! Mine does not have an apple but instead has a cup of cashews. Oh GOSH this looks awesome, I looooooooooooooooooove carrot ginger soup and yours is a neato variation! I tell the wife it makes the house smell like a THAI restaurant when I make it. I am making now bran muffins and chili with noodles, posted on my blob Saturday. Bon apetit Claudia and thanks! Gonna add these notes to the back of my recipe 🙂
Great minds think alike! Cashews sound like a great addition to this soup. I’ve also seen a recipe for this soup (minus the apple) using coconut milk. I’ll have to try those additions next time!