From Scratch

I’ve been cooking frequently with ginger the past few months. I love the depth it brings to a dish, even when used in small amounts. And I’m especially fond of Asian flavors, so when this recipe showed up in the Healthy Dinners widget, it went onto my “to try” list.

I made it in April with a companion recipe for coconut shrimp and then again on its own. It’s that good. While they’re a wonderful pair, there’s no law that says they can’t be made individually. The soup can be made in advance — and like most soups, it’s better the next day — and any time I can jump start a nice meal, especially one suitable for guests, I am one happy cook.

I’ll post the shrimp recipe soon, but here’s the beta-carotene in a bowl. I used baby-cut carrots and gave them just a rough chop and used an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.

Gingered Carrot Soup

Adapted from Self

1 TB extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarse chop
12 oz carrots (or 4 large, approx), chopped
1 TB finely-grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups/24 oz low-sodium chicken broth

3 TB soy sauce
2 TB fresh lime juice
2 TB light brown sugar, packed
1 TB peanut butter
1 tsp sesame oil

1 cup/8 ounces skim milk
1/4 cup/2 ounces coconut milk (see notes)
Kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger and red pepper flakes, stir well, and cook another 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender. Remove from heat and add the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, peanut butter and sesame oil. Stir well and transfer to a blender to puree or use an immersion blender in the saucepan. Puree until smooth.

Transfer back to the pan, if necessary, stir in the two milks and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or refrigerate overnight and reheat before serving.

Serves 4 - 6

Ella’s Notes: Coconut milk is not the same as coconut cream, which is very sweet. It’s usually found with Hispanic foods and sometimes with bar and drink ingredients. It’s thicker than regular milk and can settle and coagulate, so give it a good shake at the market and make sure you hear it sloshing. When I serve this soup on its own, I like a bit of coconut as a garnish for eye appeal and texture and to give a hint of what is in the soup.

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