Right now, everything in my world is a different shade of gray. The sky, the ground, the roads—all of it. Gray, gray, gray, gray, gray. It’s everywhere. I hear they even made a movie about it.

Don’t believe me? Think I’m exaggerating? This is the view from my kitchen, people.

It’s a gray, gray world.

And I know, this is Lent. I know Christians are being beheaded in the Middle East. And I know some lunatic “caliph” is trying to usher in the end times. Given all that, it’s good to have little things, like the weather, to offer up.

But I still need color.

So, on Monday, I took matters into my own hands and made carrot soup.

A while back, I happened upon Angela Liddon’s recipe for Carrot, Apple, Ginger soup. It’s very good. If you want a vegan Carrot, Apple, Ginger soup recipe, you should go posthaste to her site without passing Go or collecting $200.

I, however, have a strong preference for cream in my carrot soups, as well as an inexplicable dislike for vegetable broth. Although, perhaps “dislike” is too strong of a word for something that strikes me as having no taste at all.

Accordingly, I played and played with the original recipe and came up with this decidedly not vegan Carrot, Apple, Ginger Soup. It’s super tasty, super healthy, and super, super colorful. It really is that orange. And did I mention tasty? If someone had made me soup like this decades ago, maybe I would have eaten my carrots as a little kid and not been half-blind today. Who knows? It’s possible.

Anyhow, this soup will not change the world. It won’t keep the gray or the snow or the lunatic caliphs away. But it will brighten your kitchen and your day.

Who knew soup could actually look happy?

 

Carrot, Apple, & Ginger Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 generous Tablespoons of freshly minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 pounds of baby carrots
• 2 medium-sized green apples, peeled, cored, and diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• .5 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling on bread
• 4 slices good bread, cubed (optional)

Cooking Instuctions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees.
2. Peel the ginger, then mince it and the garlic cloves; set aside in a separate bowl.
3. Chop the onion and the apples.
4. Heat 3 T. oil in a large pot; add onions and cook until translucent (about 5 minutes).
5. Add the garlic and onion; cook another minute more, being careful not to let the garlic burn.
6. Add the apples and carrots, stirring to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add in chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt.
7. Bring broth to a boil; then reduce heat to medium-low; cook for 20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
8. While the soup is simmering, cut up the bread into cubes, spread the cubes out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then drizzle generously with olive oil; bake for 10-15 minutes until bread is toasted, but not hardened. Set aside.
9. When the carrots have become fork tender, pour the broth mixture into a food processor or blender. You will probably need to do this in batches, so that the liquid doesn’t overflow. Puree until smooth. Check the seasoning and, if necessary, add more salt.
10. Divide into bowls. Drizzle a scant tablespoon of the  cream into each bowl. Garnish with croutons and freshly ground pepper.

Cook’s Notes

1.  My roommates and I really like ginger, so I used it pretty liberally in this recipe. If I were being absolutely precise, the actual ginger I use is probably just over 5 Tablespoons. That’s a lot of ginger. And again, we like it that way. But I scaled it down a bit for the generic recipe and you should feel free to scale it down even more if that’s your preference.
2. For the gluten-free crowd, the croutons are obviously optional or can be made with gluten-free bread. The soup will be super tasty without it. But, I have to admit, this is one of those times I’m so glad that I don’t have to eat a strictly gluten-free diet.
3. The same goes for the cream. You can leave it out. But don’t if you don’t absolutely have to. It tempers the spiciness of the ginger and adds a touch of creaminess to an otherwise chunky soup. I haven’t tried using a milk substitute or coconut milk, but that shouldn’t stop you from doing so.
4. This soup is awesome…but it’s not the most filling thing in the world. If you’re doing this for dinner, a hearty side salad and extra bread are almost musts.
5. I used baby carrots. I didn’t have to, but sometimes I am lazy. I’m good with this.  I don’t think they’re going to kill me. If you do, just use the regular ones. :-0