Fresh Ginger and Carrot Soup

Directions

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and add olive oil.
2. Add onions and cook until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add ginger and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add coriander, cinnamon, garam masala, red pepper flakes and carrots. Stir well to incorporate and turn the heat to high. Add the splash of brandy and cook on high for about 2 minutes until the alcohol burns off. Season with salt and pepper and turn heat back down to medium.
4. Add the vegetable broth. Cover and simmer until the carrots are fully softened, about 30 minutes.
5. Once the carrots are soft, remove pot from the heat and blend the soup either in batches in a regular blender or right in the pot with an immersion blender. (If using a regular blender, be careful not to fill it too full because hot steam from the soup can create too much pressure in the blender and make the lid pop off.) Taste and season more as needed.
6. Once blended, return soup to pot (if you used a blender, that is) and stir in coconut milk. Serve hot.
7. This soup keeps well for up to five days and will freeze beautifully for up to three months if well contained.
8. As a side note, garam masala is a ground spice mixture of Indian origin that you’ll find in most Indian dishes. It’s most commonly comprised of different peppercorns, cardamom, nutmeg , cloves and mace. It’s beautifully aromatic and quite strong in flavor. Depending on the blend you use, it can provide a big punch of heat from the peppercorns so if you’ve never had it before and are unsure of the heat level, omit the red pepper flakes.