Presenting this soup will put a spark in your eyes.
Carrots afterall are good for your eyesight since they are loaded in vitamin A which is essential for vision and helps the body with cell growth and immune function. You can get your entire day's needs from a quarter cup of grated carrots or an ounce of carrots. They are also a good souce of thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and manganese. In addition, carrots are a very good source of dietary fiber (great for digestive health), vitamin C, vitamin K, and potassium. One medium carrot contains only 25 calories but has about 6 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar. Since they are high in fiber you will only get 4.5 net carbs per carrot.
Note: Glycemic index (GI) is an indicator of how much and fast a food raises blood sugar. Sugar has a GI of 100. The Mayo Clinic notes that raw carrots have a GI of 35. Cooked carrots will be slightly higher.
Serves 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
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2 pounds carrots, peeled and small dice
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2 ribs celery, small dice
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2 yellow onion, small dice
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2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
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4 garlic cloves, minced
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¼ cup cooking oil
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Salt and pepper to taste
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1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
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4 cups veggie stock
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1/2 cup heavy cream
For garnish:
½ tablespoon sliced candied ginger
4-6 ounces crème fraiche
Instructions:
In large skillet, saute ginger and garlic on medium low heat until very slightly caramelized. Be careful not to burn.
Turn heat to high and add mirepoix – cook 20 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.
Blend mirepoix in batches using the vitamix blender until very smooth.
Move to stove top – add seasonings, heavy cream – cook on low for 10 additional minutes
Taste, adjust seasoning as needed.
Ladle into soup bowls and garnish.
Terri's Tip:
You are in charge of the food you eat when you cook at home.
Cut fat and calories by decreasing the amount of cream or leave it out altogether.
Save time by chopping large quantities of veggies for the mirepoix and freezing for another day.
Wine Pairing: the Mumm Napa Brut Rose was a hit at the UT Community Cooking Class Sparkling Wine Dinner