Carrot Soup

Though I love hot soup all year round, there's something special about eating it during the winter. The calm, rhythmic chopping, the sizzle of the sautée, the simmering, and the aroma truly warms both the kitchen, as well as the soul. Soups are such a healthy, clean way to begin (or be) a meal.

I've been going to town with my immersion blender lately. It's my fave kitchen tool. I get that soups can be intimidating to attempt if you're not used to it. However, you can make a wonderful, easy soup with vegetables, stock, and seasonings. It's quite simple, but you'll feel like a culinary rock star. Soups freeze wonderfully, I divide them into pints and take out as needed. My second daughter is loving all these new puréed soups I've been playing with. This carrot soup is delicious and not scary. The color is lovely and seasonal. It's great for babies as well since it is puréed. Not that it ever once occurred to me to make this for my babies when they were younger👶🏻😜. If this makes a lot for you, just divide and freeze.

You'll need:

• Three bags of large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks.
• A medium onion diced.
• A large dried bay leaf
• A packed cup and a half of chopped fresh dill.
• A tsp of grated fresh ginger, grated on the medium hole size on a box grater. The ginger is optional, add more if you like that flavor intensified, but be careful since it's so strong. Ginger also clears your sinuses.
• A teaspoon each of garlic powder and cumin.
• Two tsp salt.
• 3/4 tsp fine ground black pepper.
• A third cup of white cooking wine.
• Two to three boxes of vegetable broth/stock. 

Prepare carrots and set aside. Heat some olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the diced onion until very aromatic and starting to turn golden. Deglaze the pot with the white wine as the pot dries during sautéing. This adds a nice undercurrent of flavor. Layering flavors is so crucial in cooking.

When the onions are ready, add all the other ingredients except the dill. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the flame to a simmer for about 45 minutes. Add dill after you reached your simmer point. The carrots should be very soft, so simmer more as needed.

When ready, remove from heat and uncover. I like to let this rest and release some steam before I blend, about twenty minutes. Forget that if you're in a rush. Blend the soup with your immersion blender, handling the tool carefully. Add salt and pepper to taste after testing it first. Garnish with a sprinkling of extra chopped dill, and toasted pumpkin seeds as croutons. Honestly, this is the basic formula for a good, simple soup. Onion, vegetables of choice, broth, spices, and blend. Done.

About an hour from start to finish, but you're only working for the first fifteen minutes and the last two. The rest of the time is yours to relax (yeah, right) and enjoy knowing what you're cooking up for your family. I cannot resist wishing you a "soup er" day. Sorry not sorry, I love me a play on words. But you knew that.

Love, Lady Soup er Fly