Curried Carrot Soup

There was NOTHING to eat in the entire house! Ok, I may be slightly exaggerating but honestly, not by much. All I had was a bag of baby carrots, an onion, some garlic, and a HUGE array of spices...Adam and I love spices. So 30 minutes later, we had Curried Carrot Soup for lunch!

This soup came together surprisingly quick, especially considering that I didn't chop up the carrots before throwing them in the pot, and was completely heartwarming, not to mention EXTREMELY healthy. Carrots are loaded with antioxidants than can help your body lower blood cholesterol and aid in vitamin A absorption, which really helps out your eyes. I also used a lot of turmeric in this soup, a spice that is widely used in Asian cuisine and has amazing anti-inflammatory benefits.

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Curried Carrot Soup

Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 bowls

Ingredients:

• 1 TBS Pecan Oil

• 1 small Onion, diced

• 1 TBS Garlic, minced

• 1 TBS Curry Powder

• 1 tsp. Cumin

• 1/2 tsp. Smoked Paprika

• 1/2 tsp. Turmeric

• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

• 1 tsp. Salt

• 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

• 1 Bay Leaf

• 1 tsp. Ginger, fresh & grated

• 1 lb. Carrots

• 3 cups water

• 1/2 cup Sour Cream

• Juice of Half a Lemon

• Salt & Pepper to taste

• Roasted & Salted Pecans

Directions:

1. Add pecan oil and onions to a medium sized saucepan and turn heat to medium, saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes

2. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and ginger to pot, saute for 2-3 minutes or until garlic and spices are fragrant, be sure to stir frequently as to not burn the garlic

3. Add carrots and saute for an additional 5 minutes

4. Add water and bay leaf, bring pot to boil, cover with lid, and reduce to simmer

5. Simmer for 15 minutes, then transfer to a blender and blend on medium speed for 3 minutes

6. Return soup to pot and stir in sour cream and lemon juice

7. Serve warm and top with roasted & salted pecans for added crunch and earthiness

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Tips & Tricks

1. Instead of using sour cream, you can always use coconut cream. It adds the same amount of creaminess with a tropical taste, it also makes it 100% vegan.

2. Want a little more spice? Use Thai curry paste instead of curry powder to add a little more heat. If you go this route, use lime juice instead of lemon, it really rounds out the flavors.

3. Be sure to let your spices toast in the hot oil before you add water or broth. This allows all the natural oils in the dried spices to "wake up" and give full flavor to the soup without it being dry tasting.

4. I used water when making my soup, like I said there was nothing at the house, but using a broth would obviously add a lot more depth of flavor.

5. You can store this soup in the refrigerator for up to 7 days but I'd be shocked if you didn't polish it off on day one.