It seems like every time I put soup on the table for dinner, someone finds a way to work in this quote, No Soup For You (from Seinfeld...remember?), complete with crazy accent, and we all find it hilarious. Weird. I don’t even think the kids have seen one episode of Seinfeld, but there you go. A little slice of life from the Personally household. Now back to our regular blogging…
Hi Everyone! Fall is approaching and busy routines are back in place. That means it’s harvest season in our farmer’s markets and grocery stores, but also time to be serious about getting a nutritious dinner on the table as often as possible. Carrot Ginger Soup is a staple in my dinner rotation that takes advantage of the great root vegetables available at this time of year.
This recipe is taken from Anne Lindsay’s Lighthearted Everyday Cooking. An oldie but a goodie. As you can see my copy is dog-eared, page-marked and covered in spills. As any hard working cookbook should be. There is a ton of great information in the opening and closing sections of the book on healthy food choices, smart grocery shopping and meal planning. It is way more than a recipe collection which is what I look for in a good cookbook.
Anyways….soup! So do yourself a favour and buy a basket of seasonal carrots and some potatoes. You’ll chop up four cups worth of carrots, one potato and one onion into a big pot. Add a big dollop of minced ginger-root. I use the kind that comes minced in a jar. If I need to start grating up ginger-root, supper is not happening. Sauté it all in a bit of oil for ten minutes.
Stir in three cups of chicken stock. I use this bouillon base from Epicure Selections. It has all natural ingredients and no salt so you can add your own to taste and know how much sodium you’re getting. Best of all, this little jar makes about fifteen cups of broth. Imagine how much pantry space is saved compared to buying the cartons of premade stock. And since you can mix the quantities as you go, none is ever wasted.
Bring the pot to the boil and let it simmer, covered, for thirty minutes. Then put in your stick blender and puree it all up. Sometimes if my dinner-making opportunity comes earlier in the day, I put the soup in the crockpot at this point to keep warm. When you’re ready to serve, add milk to get the desired consistency, usually about one and a half cups.
Soups are a great way to get a big serving of vegetables onto the table. And this one is always a hit with the kids. Go figure, but I’m not gonna question it. If you make something on the side like a grilled cheese or a quesadilla or pita and hummus, there is usually enough to put leftovers in a thermos for lunches the next day. Cook once eat twice always works for me.
So who’s with me? Shall we head to the next farmer’s market then cook up some soup? If not, then no soup for you.
Carrot Ginger Soup
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Sauté vegetables and ginger-root about ten minutes. Stir in stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for thirty minutes. Process mixture into a puree, stir in milk, and reheat if necessary. Serve and enjoy.
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