Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday and 2010 is treating you well so far. We had an incredible time back in Texas and an even better time in Mexico where we swam, snorkeled, and sunned ourselves to our hearts’ content every day.
The only downside to our adventures is returning home and feeling the results of over eating and drinking for 2 weeks! We came back to Vegas with an insatiable desire to eat lots of veggies in an effort to detox our bodies from too many poolside cervezas and all those buffets at the resort.
Yesterday I made this carrot soup and it totally hit the spot: Tons of veggies, lots of flavour, and very healthy without tasting like health food. This soup recipe made enough for 6 bowls at 74 cents per serving.
Indian Spiced Carrot Soup with Ginger, adapted from Bon Appetit, April 2008
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
3 tablespoons oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder, preferably Madras
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
zest and juice of 1 lime
5 cups (or more) chicken broth or vegetable broth
salt and fresh ground pepper
plain Greek yogurt for garnish
Heat the oil in heavy large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the dried spices and stir for 1 minute. Next add the grated ginger and stir it for a minute. Add the onions, carrots, and zest of the lime to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saut?© the soup base until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add 5 cups of broth and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the soup uncovered until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.
Let the soup cool slightly, and then puree the soup with an immersion blender until it is smooth. If the soup is too thick, add more broth by 1/4 cupfuls until it is the right consistency. Stir in the juice of 1 lime and season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt on top to stir in.
This was another hit for my book club dinner. I’ve burned out my immersion blender long ago so had to use the food processor, which didn’t get it as smooth as I would have liked. But the flavors were lovely, and as usual, better the next day. Thanks for the site!