Ginger Carrot Soup
Soup’s On! Round Three.
East Coast temperatures are plummeting this weekend and I will be in even chillier Pittsburgh for a hockey tournament, so I thought that I’d share this warming soup recipe now as opposed to Monday. Happy early President’s Day!
If you have been following my blog for awhile you are likely familiar with “Soup’s On!” a soup contest that I host each year. If you’re new here or just stumbling upon Sly Rooster because you’ve searched for a carrot soup or are maybe craving ginger, I’ll provide a quick overview.
About 20 women are invited to make an extra-large batch of a favorite soup and bring it to my house, along with any garnishes, a ladle, copies of their recipe and $10. I provide tasting cups, note taking sheets, take-home containers and of course, wine, cheese and dessert . As the party ensues, everyone tastes and rates each of the soups, ultimately selecting their first, second and third place winners. At the end of the evening, the votes are tallied, awards given for the runners up, and the first-place winner gets the cash (this year $160 collected from the 16 entry fees). Everyone goes home with containers of their favorite soups.
Each year I am amazed by the lack of repetition–not a single duplicate soup and the offerings run the gamut from Celery Soup with Bacon Croutons to Crockpot Lobster Bisque to Creamy Tortilla Soup (third place winner). The recipe sources are as varied as Off-the-Cuff to Ottolenghi (second place went to his Chickpea, Tomato and Bread Soup).
This year’s winner was a Ginger Carrot Soup adapted from the Food Network. It was smooth and flavorful with a prominence of ginger that set it apart from other carrot soups. While I have yet to make it myself, the directions look straight-forward and the ingredient list is concise. So give this soup a try and go ahead and host your own Soup’s On! party. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Ginger Carrot Soup
- 2 Tbls sweet cream butter
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 6 c chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 Tbls fresh ginger, grated
- 1 c whipping cream
- salt and white pepper
- sour cream
- parsley sprigs, for garnish
- In a large stock pot over medium high heat, add butter and onions and cook, stirring often, until onions are limp.
- Add broth, carrots and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are tender when pierced.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a blender.* Puree in batches until smooth. Or, puree in the pot using an immersion blender.
- Reheat soup over high heat, while stirring in the cream. For a smoother flavor bring soup to a boil.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of parsley.
- When using a blender to blend hot liquids, allow to cool for at least 5 minutes before adding to the blender and fill no more than halfway. Hold a kitchen towel over the blender lid just in case some hot liquid spurts out.