As the coronavirus began to hit the New York area hard, the supermarket shelves were wiped clean in an instant. Lucky for me my mom was up in Newport, RI acting as if the world wasn’t about to come to an end. While it did make me nervous that she wasn’t taking social distancing seriously, I was grateful that she was able to head to the fully stocked supermarket and pick me up all the items that my neighbors were hording. Besides the obvious (toilet paper, eggs, milk, cheese, meat, etc.), I asked for some basic veggies including carrots. She generously bought me a 5-pound bag of delicious carrots!!!!
Turns out that’s a lot of carrots for two people (not including my newborn son who is on a strict milk diet)! It also turns out that I don’t cook with carrots much. Sure, I use them as a base in soups, but that’s maybe two carrots; this bag had thirty-two! Obviously, I had plenty of time on my hands; I don’t think I’ve ever counted carrots before! It would make a good home-schooling less though, but I digress. So, what’s a girl to do with so many carrots? Make soup, of course.
Carrots and Coconuts
Carrot and coconut are a match made in heaven and pairing them in a soup seemed like a no brainer. Since we are entering spring here in New York, carrots with their sweetness and coconut with its freshness seemed like the perfect ingredients to embrace the change of seasons.
Wait…I don’t have ginger!
This soup also calls for fresh ginger. I believe it adds a nice level of flavor complexity, but it could be left out if you don’t like it or have it. I usually keep fresh ginger, ginger paste and frozen cubes on hand. That way I never run out!! Can you tell I love ginger?
What should I serve with this soup?
Soup is often a meal itself in my house. Just serve with a slice of crusty bread so you can enjoy every last bite. You could also serve it with a salad (try a Can Can Salad or this Asparagus Tomato Salad). If you want this to be a first course the options are limitless. Head over to the dinner section of the blog for some suggestions.
Get cooking!
As you are prepping, don’t worry too much about slicing and dicing perfectly. This soup gets pureed at the end so no one will ever know that your carrots pieces were uneven and your onion was sliced and not chopped like the recipe says. And if you love soups as much as I do, you should try these: Lentil Tomato, Butternut Squash and Carrot and Vegetarian French Onion; they’re some of my favs! As always, let me know how your Carrot Coconut Ginger Soup comes out by leaving a comment below. Enjoy! Buen provecho!
Carrot coconut ginger soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 chopped yellow onions
- 3 or more sliced garlic cloves
- 32 oz box of vegetable or chicken broth
- 7-8 large peeled carrots chopped into chucks
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger or paste or frozen
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 13.5 oz 1 can coconut milk (can use reduced fat)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, warm coconut oil (or alternately enough extra virgin olive oil to coat pot). Sauté the onions until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and cook for three more minutes. Add broth, carrots, ginger and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then let simmer mostly covered until carrots are soft (about 15 minutes). Add coconut milk. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or a stand blender. Taste and adjust seasoning.
