Easy Weeknight Dinners: Carrot Thyme Soup

You don’t need me to tell you that soups are insanely easy to make.  And if you do, then keep reading, because this is an insanely easy soup to make.

Pureed soups have it even easier, allowing you to put everything in one pot, add a little stock, and once it is all cooked through, zap it to a smooth, creamy texture.  One of my absolute favorite kitchen tools is the hand-held immersion blender.  It is super easy to use and 10x better than cleaning up a full blown blender.  

This soup is not only filling but packed with nutrients, such as needed carbohydrates, beta carotene, and anti-inflammatory powerhouse: garlic. If it still isn’t enough for your hearty appetite, grill up some chicken breast or another lean protein and serve it up on the side. If you are sticking to a vegetarian or vegan diet, I love making an easy 3 Bean Salad, full of fiber and protein to keep you full. 

Carrot Thyme Soup

Ingredients

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock

6 medium carrots, cleaned & chopped

3 small potatoes (or 1-2 large) cut into large pieces

4 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 tsp salt & pepper blend

1/4 cup white wine

2 tbsp goat cheese (optional)

Directions

Prepare your ingredients and place all items except for your liquids in a heavy saucepan.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and set to medium high heat. Cover with a lid and cook for about 25 minutes, or until vegetables are softened.  Add the white wine and allow the alcohol to burn off, about 5-10 minutes more.  

Add about half of the stock and bring to a slow simmer.  Using an immersion blender, begin to puree your soup, making sure there are no remaining chunks and any remaining herb stems are removed.  Continue to add stock a half a cup at a time to reach the thickness of your liking (if you like the soup thick and creamy, don't add more stock, if you like a thinner, liquidy soup, continue to add in 1/2 cup increments).  If the soup is still too thick for you after you have added the full 2 cups of stock, add an additional cup of stock.  If you add water, this will dilute the flavor of your soup to a bland and boring flavor. Don’t do that. 

A perfect finishing garnish for this soup is a tablespoon full of crumbly goat cheese.  Add this to the center of the soup once you have portioned it out in your soup bowls.  Stir the cheese around to melt slightly and enjoy with a crunchy slice of toasted sourdough bread.