Name: Carrot, Orange and Ginger Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2½ pounds carrots (peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces); 1-inch piece of ginger (peeled and diced); Zest and juice of 2 oranges; Salt and pepper; 4 cups vegetable stock (fresh preferred); 1 tablespoon butter; 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)

By Pascale Beale

Carrot, Orange and Ginger Soup on a blue tablecloth. — Photo: Leela Cyd

Carrots and oranges are marvelous together. Quite apart from the same vibrant color, the sweetness and zest of orange juice marries so well with carrots, enhancing their flavor. This soup has verve and the ginger adds a little spiciness to it.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2½ pounds carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
Salt and pepper
4 cups vegetable stock, fresh preferred
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Pour some olive oil into a large saucepan placed over medium heat. Place the carrots, ginger, orange zest and toss to coat the vegetables well. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour all of the vegetable stock into the saucepan and continue cooking the carrots for another 30 minutes or until tender. Stir in the orange juice and cook for a few minutes more.
Carefully purée the carrots and stock in batches in a food processor (you get the smoothest soup using this method) but you can also use an immersion blender. If you are using the latter, leave the soup in the saucepan.
Pour the puréed soup back into the saucepan if you puréed it in the food processor. Just before serving stir the butter into the soup, check the seasoning, adding a little more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the cilantro on top of each bowl.