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InstaRecipe: Spicy Ginger Carrot Soup

By Julia Weeman in Food on May 4, 2014 6:00PM

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Photo by Julia Weeman via Instagram

If you're looking for something that pairs perfectly with the unseasonably cold spring weather, then this light but hearty soup is one of my favorites. Roasting the carrot and sweet potato to barely caramelize them brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables. I like to use coconut oil because the slightly coconutty flavor that lingers behind really complements the spicy heat of the ginger. I only use 3 cups of the vegetable stock to maintain a thick, almost creamy texture—but more stock will yield a thinner soup if you prefer.

You can make this soup rather quickly and it's a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients, so that's an added perk. This recipe also uses one of my favorite kitchen tools—an immersion blender—but if you don't have one you can just let the soup cool slightly and blend it in a blender. Although I really recommend you just get an immersion blender— they are fairly inexpensive and come in handy quite frequently.

InstaRecipe: Spicy Ginger Carrot Soup

Ingredients
10 small to medium carrots
1 large sweet potato
1/4 c. coconut oil (divided)
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
3 T grated fresh ginger
3-4 c. vegetable stock
salt & pepper to taste

Method
Preheat oven to 350. Peel carrots and quarter them, cutting down larger pieces to make them somewhat uniform. Peel sweet potato and cut into similarly sized wedges. Measure 1/8 cup of the coconut oil on to a baking sheet and place in oven until melted, approximately 2 minutes. Rotate sheet to coat with coconut oil and add carrots and sweet potato in a single layer. Roast vegetables for approximately 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. While the vegetables are roasting, melt 1/4 cup coconut oil over medium heat in a large pot and add onions and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add 3 cups of the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Add roasted vegetables and simmer and additional 10 minutes. Remove from heat and using an immersion blender; puree until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste and add additional stock to thin to desired consistency.