This Carrot Ginger Soup is the perfect dish for a dreary winter day. Aside from having a vibrant saffron hue that makes it look like a bowlful of sunshine, it also has a permeating warmth thanks to the ample addition of ginger and turmeric. You can literally feel yourself warming up from the inside out as each spoonful of soup goes down.

Because there aren’t many ingredients in it, the trick to infusing the soup with a ton of flavor is to caramelize the carrots and onions. This gives the soup a marvelously mellow sweetness that balances out the oodles of savory umami created by the Maillard reaction.

Using a stick blender will result in a rougher texture, while pouring this into a high speed blender will result in a more creamy texture. Personally, I like how light the soup is despite feeling velvety rich, but if you’re looking for something a bit more creamy, throw in a handful of raw cashews before blending the soup. They not only lend a fair bit of umami and sweetness to the soup, they’ll also make it super creamy.

I garnished this with mint to mix into the soup, but it’s also delightful with cilantro, parsley, or other green herbs. Lastly, a squeeze of lemon or lime is a great way to add a last minute accent, or to change up any leftovers.

Carrot Ginger Turmeric Soup

You can literally feel yourself warming up from the inside out as each spoonful of this carrot ginger turmeric soup goes down. (Recipe Credit: Marc Matsumoto of Fresh Tastes.)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 11 ounces carrots (about 3 large carrots)
• 6 ounces onion (~1 small onion, finely chopped) (~1 small onion, finely chopped)
• .7 ounces ginger (finely minced)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

1. Add the olive oil to a pan and the saute the carrots, onions, ginger and salt over medium heat until the onions and carrots are browned and tender.
2. Add the water and turmeric and then bring to a boil.
3. Blend the mixture with either an immersion blender or a regular blender until smooth.
4. Reheat, adjust salt to taste and then serve.

Yield: 2 servings