As the cooler weather begins to take hold, all the soup-lovers out there can rejoice. So many vegetables, so many soup recipes, but this Carrot & Ginger soup is a real winner.
A good soup starts with good stock, so if you've never made your own stock before, now's the perfect time to give it a go. Start by saving all your vege offcuts - broccoli stalks, cauliflower leaves, celery and carrot ends, onion ends etc. - and put them in a bag in the freezer.
Keep adding to it whenever you do your meal prep, and when it's full, you're ready to brew up a batch.
Heat some oil in a pan, add your veges and soften them for about 10 minutes.
Add 6-8 cups of water, a teaspoon of salt, a few black peppercorns, a bay leaf or two, some dried herbs (or fresh if you have them).
Bring it all to a boil and then simmer for 30 mins.
Strain and discard the veges and there you have it! Homemade stock!
This cuts down on food waste and is so much cheaper than buying supermarket stock. Bonus - you know exactly what's in it!
Carrot and ginger soup is a great way to use up your carrots, and is very warming. Make a double batch and stash some in the freezer for a quick meal next time!
CARROT AND GINGER SOUP
Prep time 20 mins
Cook time 30 mins (ish)
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
375g carrots, chopped
900ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
Seasoning to taste
Chives to garnish
Heat the oil in a pan over a low heat and add the onion. Cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook to release the aromas, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.
Add the carrots and stock and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until carrots are tender.
Once they are soft, get in there with your stick blender and blend until smooth, (or use a blender/food processor, but let the soup cool down a bit first).
Add the lemon or lime juice, season to taste, and serve with a blob of sour cream if you like, and a sprinkling of chopped chives.
Grab a chunk of crusty bread and dig in!