Carrot-Ginger Soup

As winter sets in, there in nothing like a warm pot of soup. Almost all root vegetables make wonderful soups. Root vegetables have an earthy flavor and that complements the strong flavors of herbs and spices. Carrots are one particular vegetable available year around. Carrots and ginger make a delicious soup. The sweetness of the carrots is balanced by adding lime juice.

Ingredients

4-5 carrots
1 small onion (chopped)
1 small potato (peeled and chopped)
1 small Celery rib (thinly slice)
Big peice of ginger(1-2 inches, chopped)
4 cups vegetable stock
1 tbsp oil
1-2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1/2-1 cup milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lime juice

Procedure

Clean, peel and dice carrots . Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large heavy bottom sauce pan. Add onions, ginger and saute over medium heat for 4-5 mins until translucent. Add celery and potatoes and cook for few mins. Add carrots, cover the pan and cook on medium low heat for 4-5 mins. Keep stirring in the middle. Lower the heat and cook for 10-12 mins. Add the stock and bring it to boil, simmer and cook for 10 more mins, until the veggies are tender. Turn off the heat and keep the mixture aside. In a small pan heat the remaining butter, add coriander powder and saute for couple of minutes and remove from heat.
Puree the cooked veggies in a food processor or in a blender. Pour the mixture in a clean saucepan, stir in milk and coriander mixture and cook on low heat for few mins. Adjust the seasoning, garnish with coriander leaves and lime juice before serving.

Notes and Tips

You can add orange juice instead of milk to thin the soup. To spice it up, add little nutmeg/red pepper flakes. You can even roast the carrots, roasted veggies add an extra layer of flavor to the soup.