Sunday Night Carrot Ginger Soup

It's Sunday evening and the comforting familiar scent of homemade bread and Carrot Ginger soup is wafting throughout the house.


The children are relaxed.  Spencer is checking his Facebook and slowly but surely healing after a weekend of the stomach flu.  Emma is fixing my hair as I write this recipe... the cure for Spencer's weekend illness.

Sunday's are my favorite day of the week.  Most often it's the relaxing quiet late morning breakfasts and a day of cooking and planning for the meals we'll eat in the coming week.  Tonight, I will curl up with my kids, the bread we made in the bread machine and of course, this flavorful, silky, slightly spicy, healthy and gingery soup.


Ingredients:


2 tbs light sesame oil
1 large sweet onion peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
2 tbs minced ginger
1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
2 pounds carrots, peeled and diced
4 cups organic low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup canned unsweetened lite coconut milk
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp Thai Kitchen Red Chili Paste
1/4 cup minced cilantro (or more.  I can't get enough of it)

Heat the sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the diced onion and ginger and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onion is translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add the carrots and cook or 2 minutes.  Add the broth, coconut milk, and salt.  Cook for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the carrots are tender enough to pierce with a fork.


When the soup is finished cooking, remove it from the heat and cool slightly.  Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, returning the pureed soup to a large saucepan.  Add the lime juice and red chili paste.  Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.  Just before serving, garnish the soup with the chopped cilantro.