Carrot Ginger Soup

Serves 6 to 8.

Ingredients:

7 cups of vegetable stock
2 lbs fresh carrots, peeled
4 stalks celery, grated
1 tsp black pepper
3 leeks, cleaned & sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 pint heavy cream (optional)
4 tbsp butter
1 yam, peeled
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
3″ piece of ginger, grated (I just chop it finely)

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, bring stock to a boil.
2. Chop all vegetables into small pieces (1/2″ cubes)
3. In a sauté pan, over med-high heat, melt half of the butter. Sauté vegetables with ginger and nutmeg forapprox. 15 minutes, or until vegetables are browned. Add remaining butter as needed.
4. Add sautéed vegetables to stock, reduce heat, cover with lid, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Let cool to room temperature and then puree in a blender. Soup should be thick and smooth.
Add salt and pepper.
6. To serve, add approx. 1 tbsp. of cream per serving and re-heat. Do not boil.

Serve in warm bowls.

Thanks to Kurt’s Aunt Barbara for this wonderful recipe!