Carrot Ginger Soup

I'm tired, I'm short of time, but I still want to eat well.

We just got back from a blissful two weeks vacation in a tropical climate, which is really, really wonderful in December.  The problem IS, you have to come back to the Holiday season, work, your house and all that other stuff that makes you crazy.  ::sigh::

I had this soup in the Salt Lake City airport, on a six hour layover. 
Six hours? 
Yikes, I know. ... who is excited about that?
For the record, that was not the flight plan I signed up for, thank you Expedia and Delta for using my time wisely... NOT!

Crazy as it sounds, we found an awesome brew pub/restaurant in the airport, "Squatters"... which is exactly what we did, squatted and mooched off their free wifi while drinking beer and eating dinner.  I ordered the soup, expecting little from airport food. Wow... was I happy when I tasted their Carrot Ginger soup.  It was instant love.  I also had the time to listen to the lady behind me also go on and on to her husband about the soup. That made me happy to hear it wasn't just me, this soup WAS awesome. I found a recipe on Food Network that had 200 ratings averaging 5 stars... I changed it up a bit though.

Here's some tips on making this super easy.... I didn't chop the onions into small, neat squares, just rough chopped hunks.  It's blended... so really, why waste the time?  I also didn't peel my carrots... I know, I know, but they looked pretty good and I read somewhere that's where lots of the nutrients are. I just WANT to believe that.

If you are Vegan, I have given you some ideas below. I have not tried it the vegan-way... but I think this soup would taste great with coconut milk instead of cream.

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 tablespoons sweet cream butter, or Earth Balance Spread (vegan)

2 med onions, peeled and chopped

6 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth (vegan)

2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 tsp garlic

1 cup whipping cream or coconut milk (vegan)

Salt and pepper

Hot Sauce, like Tabasco, to taste

In a 6-quart pan, 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 carrots are tender when pierced, about 20-25 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a blender. Don't fill the blender more than half way, do it in batches if you have to. Cover the blender and then hold a kitchen towel over the top of the blender*. Be careful when blending hot liquids as the mixture can spurt out of the blender. Pulse the blender to start it and then puree until smooth. Return to the pan and add cream or coconut milk, stir over high heat until hot. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

NOTE-

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Here are some more of my favorite veggie soups...
Broccoli, Cheddar & Potato Soup
Curried Cauliflower Soup
Mediterranean Tomato Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Split Pea Soup

OK, these are cold, but depending on when you are reading this, it might sound nice!
Chilled Zucchini Buttermilk Soup
Gazpacho