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Favorite Carrot Soup

A healthy and smooth vegetable soup.
Bowls of smooth carrot soup on serving plates.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Makes: 10 cups
Nutrition Facts: View label

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons margarine or butter
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 pounds carrots, grated or chopped (about 7 cups)
6 cups (48 ounces) low-sodium broth (any type)
1 cup water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or dill or 2 teaspoons dried parsley or dill

Directions

  1.  Wash hands with soap and water.
  2. Rinse or scrub fresh vegetables under running water before preparing.
  3. In a large pot, melt margarine or butter on medium heat. Add celery and onion and sauté until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Add carrots, broth and water. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove pot from heat and uncover. Let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Stir several times to help release heat.
  6. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, using the manufacturer's directions for pureeing hot liquids, or use an immersion blender. Add salt, pepper and parsley. Serve warm.
  7. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Notes

  • For more flavor, try adding 1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger and 3 cloves minced garlic to the celery and onion in step 2. You can also add a few dashes of hot sauce or 1 Tablespoon apple cider or rice vinegar after blending the soup.
  • This recipe was inspired by Rabbit's Favorite Carrot Soup, found in the children's book Carrot Soup by John Segal.
  • This recipe is also good with sunchokes used for all or some of the carrots.

Comments

This carrot soup is so quick and delicious! I roasted my chopped carrots for 15 -20 minutes in the oven at 425 before putting them into the soup which reduced the simmer time by a little bit. Roasting the carrots with a touch of oil really makes the carrot flavor pop. Fresh or ground ginger makes for a nice variation as does curry seasoning. I added the additional flavors in with the onions while they sauteed. I like that this recipe is simple and flexible - you can change up the flavors or use a combination of root vegetables. Yum!

This soup is awesome and so simple. I had carrots that needed to be used so tried this recipe. Even my husband who swears he doesn't like cooked carrots was willing to try it and loved it. It is easy to freeze extra for an easy lunch on another day. We have made it with vegetable and chicken stock; both were delicious.

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