Carrot Soup

I had this recipe tucked away in my Holiday binder under "Easter." I had clipped it out of a magazine years back (you can find it here), and had never tried it.  Until now.

It will no longer be filed away only to be seen once a year.  I will seriously make this soup all year long. (Good, fast, cheap, and easy - my prerequisites for an oft-repeated recipe.)

(source)

Carrot Soup
(Serves 4 to 6, depending on your serving size)

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1-1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2" rounds
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used home-made, made the day before from my rotisserie chicken carcass - did you know you could do that?)
1 Tbs. grated ginger (I didn't have fresh on hand, so I used botted)
1-1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over med/high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, utnil softened but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the carrots, broth, ginger, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 10 minutes. Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return to pot and rewarm over medium heat. Divide soup into bowls and top with Dill Cream and freshly ground black pepper, if desired (yummy!).


Dill Cream:

1/2 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. salt

Whip cream in small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in salt and dill.

Note: When I went shopping for fresh dill, I discovered that I could purchase a ginormous bunch for less than the tiny pre-packaged stuff. Because I'm cheap, I went for the vast quantity. It sat on my counter for a few days, then I tossed it, not knowing what the heck to do with it. No time to do a web-search. No time to chop and freeze. I may try dried dill in the cream the next time I make it, just to see if it would work.