Perfect for Wintry Days: Creamy Carrot Soup

It seems funny to be writing about cold winter days when the temperature has been in the 60s, but as you could feel Monday morning, it won't be that balmy too often over the next two months.

So you are prepared for more cold winter days that cry out for a bowl of steaming soup, I want to introduce you to one of our house favorites. It's a creamy carrot soup that is spiced with warming ginger and nutmeg and kissed with a bit of cream.

The soup is thickened with potato, which eliminates the need for lots of cream, making it a scrumptious, warming, low-cal beginning to any meal.

Creamy Carrot Soup

• 1 cup chopped leeks, white & light green parts (you can use frozen)
• 2 T butter or olive oil
• 1 lb carrots, peeled & cut into chunks
• 1 potato, peeled & cut into chunks
• 1 tsp ginger
• 3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 4 cups chicken or veggie stock
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 C half & half or milk, opt

Saute the leeks in the butter or oil until softened. Add the carrots, potatoes, spices, stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the veggies are very tender. The time depends on the size you cut the veggies. Figure somewhere about 20 minutes. 

Carefully puree the soup.  The easiest way is with a stick or immersion blender, because you can puree right in the pot.

If you do it in the blender, be very careful not to fill the container any more than 1/2 full, because when you puree hot foods it releases a lot of energy which translates into a really big dangerous mess as steaming food explodes all over the kitchen. (All right, so much for the disclaimer.) 

Once the soup is pureed, taste it for seasoning. Add salt and/or any more spices. Add the 1/2 & 1/2 if you wish, heat, but don't boil, serve and enjoy. 

Editor's note: Attached to this blog post are a couple of other creamy carrot soup recipes found on YouTube.