One summer many years ago, a big supermarket chain opened up near us and we of course went to check it out. They had a huge prepared food section, so we decided grabbed a quart of soup and a fresh baguette for lunch that day. The soup was carrot ginger and it became my absolute favorite soup of all time.
And the #1 thing I love about it is that it’s so easy to make. It literally chop/dump/stir/simmer/puree. Oh, and it makes your house smell like a fall wonderland.
And who does not want their house to smell like a fall wonderland?
(exactly)
So when the weather became a little cooler a couple weeks ago and I found a bunch of fresh carrots at the farmer’s market, I knew it was a sign to make soup.
So I did.
And it was awesome.
While this soup is called Carrot Ginger, there is actually another secret vegetable that I add to create better body and smoothness.
PARSNIPS!
Those weird white, wonky carrot-like veggies.
They are super mild in flavor, but add great bulk and depth to the soup. Plus, they look super cool! (also, can we marvel at how big these ones were from the farmer’s market?!)
I peeled, washed, and coarsely chopped up some carrots and parsnip and then set them said to start the soup base.
In a large pot (this enameled dutch oven from PW is my fav!) set over medium heat, I added in some olive oil. When the oil was hot, I added in some diced onion and cooked it until it was golden and soft and there were those delicious brown bits on the bottom.
I deglazed the pan with some white wine to scrape up all the delicious brown bits. Because delicious brown bits are culinary gold!
Dump the chopped up carrots and parsnips into the pot and stir for a minute or two to allow the veggies to brown up a bit.
Then pour in enough water to just cover the veggies. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, fresh thyme leaves, and loads of fresh grated ginger.
Bring the whole thing to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook the soup until the veggies are fork tender.
Now comes the slightly dangerous part… the blending. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup right in the pot and be done with it. If you don’t, grab your blender or your food processor. Working in small batches (either filling only half the blender or filling to only the max liquid line of a food processor), puree the soup until smooth. Transfer the pureed soup to a big bowl so you can reuse the soup pot – it makes it a little easier!
BEAUTIFUL.
*that color*
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as necessary – sometimes I think I need to add more ginger because sometimes its flavor gets a little lost in the cooking process.
Then it’s time to dig in!
I ladled it into a bowl and topped it with crisp parsnip chips and fresh thyme. A healthy, fall soup that is ready for dinner in under an hour!
A fall dinner winner!
oxox,
Catherine
- 11-12 medium-sized carrots, rinsed, peeled, and chopped
- 3-4 medium-sized parsnips, rinsed, peeled, and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stems
- 1-2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger, depending how spicy you like it!
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Water
- In a large soup pot set over medium heat, add in the olive oil.
- When the oil is hot, add in the onion and cook until golden brown and caramelized. Deglaze the pan with the wine, making an effort to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the chopped carrots and parsnips and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour over enough water to just cover the vegetables. Season with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, grated ginger, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, about 30 minutes.
- To puree the soup, use an immersion blender, conventional blender, or a food processor. If you are using an immersion blender, you can blend directly in the soup pot. If you are using a conventional blender, fill only halfway, slightly crack the lid (to prevent the top from blowing off), and then cover the lid with a towel before blending. If you are using a food processor, only fill to the max liquid line. Working in batches, puree the soup and then pour into another soup pot.
- Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Serve immediately!
Leave a Reply