Cheery Carrot Soup to Brighten the Dreariest Winter Day!

By Nissa Simon

hen the markets are bare of summer’s bounty of ripe, beautiful vegetables, you can always find carrots and potatoes, the basis of a rich, velvety soup. If you have to pull together an inexpensive, fast lunch, a bowl of thick, cheery carrot soup and some peasant bread will brighten the dreariest winter day.

Ingredients     

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 3 teaspoons fresh thyme, if available)

5 cups of chicken or vegetable broth

5 or 6 thin slices of fresh ginger

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat the butter in a soup pot; add the carrots, potatoes, and thyme. Sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the carrots soften and begin to glisten.  Add the broth and ginger and simmer for about 15 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender.  Purée the mixture a little at a time in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Serves four.

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 Nissa Simon writes frequently on health-related topics for various magazines. She was the Health Editor for Reader’s Digest’s New Choices for more than 10 years and now serves on the

Editorial Board of MAKING BREAD.