Roasted Carrot Soup

{Meatless Monday}

Roasted Carrot Soup... 

    this is currently my FAVORITE soup.  This last time I made it, I cooked up at least 

3 pounds of carrots and still did not have enough leftovers for my liking!!

It is also super easy!  And oh so healthy! 

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart.  I found it one night (it was probably the 12th or 13th of the month...our payday is the 15th! ; )  when we had almost nothing in the fridge.  And I mean NOTHING!

But what I did have was a big bag of carrots in my vegetable drawer.  I just went to Google and typed in Roasted Carrots (because that is of course my favorite way to eat carrots!) and this was one of the first links.  We made it that night, and I have been hooked ever since!

Here's what you'll need...

• 1 small onion
• 1 pound carrots,  peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 small Belgian endive, quartered lengthwise (I have always left this out)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for seasoning
• Pinch of freshly ground pepper, plus more for seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock, plus more for thinning
• 1/3 cup half and half or milk (I usually use Fat-Free Half and Half)
• 1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger, or to taste
• Creme fraiche or sour cream, for garnish (optional)

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Preheat oven to 450.

Cut your onion into wedges and your carrots into nice medium thick sticks.  Put on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Stir around and spread in single layer.  Don't overcrowd the cookie sheet.

Roast until edges of vegetables are deep brown, about 30 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a pot and add bay leaf. (I like to pour a little broth onto the cookie sheet to get off all the yumminess from the roasting and then pour that into your pot!)   Pour in enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until vegetables are very soft.  

Remove bay leaf and then puree the mixture (I have to do this in 2 or 3 batches in my blender).  We like ours to be completely smooth...no chunks at all.  Return to pot and warm up again.  At this point, the recipe tells you to stir in the ginger. 

But when I make it, I actually leave it completely unadulterated when I serve it.  Then I put out all of the following spices:

CINNAMON and NUTMEG and GINGER and CURRY.  

They are ALL delicious in their own way!  I let each person decide what spices they would like.  And my favorite part is that I can choose to have 3 small bowls and give them all a slightly different flavor.  

This soup has such a smooth and rich flavor!  You really need to try it.  Trust me! It is an all-time favorite now and the best thing is....carrots are cheap!!