Carrot, Apple and Ginger Soup

Um, this was delicious, just saying. A fragrant, quick, vegetarian soup that is light, comforting, and a great starter for a late winter meal. Garnished with apple, carrot and fresh mint, and with flavors of ginger, nutmeg and allspice, I am sure this will become a classic I make again and again much like the butternut squash soup with pears and cumin, sweet potato and peanut stew, roasted garlic soup and kale and white bean soup I keep coming back to.  

I guess I am a soup person, because really, nothing could make me happier. I served this as a starter, but it could also make a great lighter meal, served with hearty whole wheat rolls and a green salad sprinkled with some chickpeas for extra protein. And, don't forget, carrots will help your eyesight, right? Which actually I could use as I am finding I have to wear my glasses more and more these days. Heh.

Spiced Carrot-Apple Soup with Fresh Mint

From Bon Appetit* /December 2010

Makes 6 servings

total prep/cook time 50 minutes

2 TBS olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped white onions

1 1/4 lbs carrots, peeled and diced into 1" pieces, plus 1 carrot, peeled and finely diced for garnish

3 3/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

3/4 cup diced peeled fuji apple plus 1/2 cup finely diced for garnish

2 tsp chopped fresh ginger

4.5 TBS apple juice concentrate, thawed

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

Coarse kosher salt

chopped fresh mint (for garnish)

1.Heat olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot

2. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent, up to 10 minutes

3. Add carrot pieces and apple, cook 3 minutes

4. Add apple juice concentrate, minced ginger, vegetable stock and spices

5. Cook on a low boil 15-20 minutes until carrot chunks are soft

6. Using an immersion blender (or standard blender, adding 1/2 of soup at a time) blend until no big chunks remain.

7. Serve with chopped apples, carrots and fresh mint for garnish.

*I changed a few details in the steps of this recipe, based on how I made it, which I found to be a bit more simple than the original directions- it turned out great, and I didn't have to remove the carrots half way through and chop them smaller like the recipe noted. Besides those changes, all ingredients, portions etc stayed the same as the original recipe.