Curry became one of my favorite spices this past winter, largely due to this recipe!  Such a simple soup, yet so warming and comforting.  My dear friend Dayna shared it with me one chilly night as she was savoring a big bowl.  She had asked her husband-to-be to pick up some carrots on the way home, and boy did he!  Suddenly finding herself with an over-abundance of carrots at hand, she went in search of a recipe to help use them up.  She loved this recipe so much, she shared it with me as well as her blog and I’m glad she did.  It’s quick and easy to prepare and totally delicious.

Curry is actually a blend of spices, but its main ingredient is turmeric, which has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries.  It has long been prized for its natural, non-toxic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.  Nutritionally, turmeric is a great source of both iron and manganese, and a good source of vitamin B6, fiber and potassium.

This lovely soup makes a nice start to a meal, or a light dinner paired with a salad.  And of course the leftovers are great for lunch!

Even though carrots are not on the Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” list of produce that carry the worst toxic load of pesticides, we buy organic carrots because they just taste so much better!  They typically have a deeper orange color and are lots sweeter and more flavorful.

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Recipe: CURRIED CARROT SOUP

Yield:  Up to 6 (1½ cup) servings

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1½ pounds organic baby carrots
• 6 cups organic, low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon mild curry paste or 1½ tablespoons curry powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt
• 1 cup organic, low-fat sour cream (or organic, fat free Greek yogurt sweetened slightly with ¼ tsp raw honey)
• Plastic condiment bottle or medium plastic food storage bag
• Chopped chives (optional)

Instructions

1. Using a medium pot, add coconut oil, onions and carrots and saute 5 minutes over medium high heat.
2. Add 4 cups vegetable broth, curry and cayenne, and about 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Place pot on a trivet next to food processor.  Process soup in 2 or 3 small batches until soup is smooth and carrots are fully pureed, transferring pureed soup to a large bowl as you work to make room for more in the processor.
4. Return all the pureed soup to the soup pot and place back over low heat.  If the soup is too thick, add more broth until you’ve reached your desired consistency.  Adjust seasonings.
5. Place sour cream or yogurt mixture in a plastic condiment squeeze bottle or a medium food storage bag.  Cut a very small hole in the corner of the bag with scissors. Ladle soup into bowls and squirt a swirl around the bowl, decorating however you like.  You can also drag a toothpick from the center out to the edges to form a spider web design.  Top with cut chives if you desire.

Fix it! Plan Photos by: Bill Peterson Galleries

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This recipe was adapted from Rachel Ray as found at foodnetwork.com: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/curried-carrot-soup-recipe/index.html