I can’t count how many times I’ve made carrot-ginger soup, it’s one of my all-time favorites. However, I have found a nice little twist to amend the typical recipe. For one, this recipe calls for roasting the carrots and adding yams to the mix. I know yams roast best with the skin on, so, despite the extra step of removing the skins after roasting them, it’s worth it. Secondly, I’ve added a cayenne cream to drizzle on top – such a nice finisher, please don’t miss this last step.
Ingredients
Carrots, ~ 2 1/3 lbs. washed, cut in 2” chunks diagonally (not peeled)
Yams, 2 Med – cut in 2” pieces (not peeled)
Ginger, 2 – 2” pieces, peeled, minced
Garlic, 4 cloves, peeled, minced
Turmeric, 3 tsps.
Chicken or Veg Broth, 2 containers 64. oz.
Salt and Pepper
Ripple Half and Half, ¼ cup
Cayenne Pepper, 1 pinch
Please buy organic whenever possible!
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large bowl, toss the carrots, yams, ½ of the minced ginger and garlic, the turmeric with a good glug of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Transfer to a large sheet pan and cook for a good 35 minutes or until the veggies are browned and easily forked. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool. Once cooled, remove the yam skins – at this point they should slide off easily. [Don’t toss them as they make delicious snacks! Just toast them up in on a tray in the toaster oven and serve with a bit of hot sauce. In a medium sized stock or soup pot, add the remaining ginger, garlic about 2 tsps. of olive oil. Heat the ginger and garlic until they are slightly softened, then add the roasted carrots and yams making sure to scrape out every last bit of the garlic and ginger. Add the two containers of broth and heat up the mixture on medium low for about 10 minutes. Next blend the mixture – using either an immersion blender or a countertop blender. Make sure to blend to a smooth, silky consistency. This is now the time to adjust for salt and pepper and viscosity. If the soup is too thick, add some water – taste for salt, add a bit more if needed. Some yams are a bit starchier than others – that is why this soup can be either perfect as is or in need of more liquid.
Make the cayenne spiked cream. In a small saucepan, combine the Ripple creamer with the cayenne. Heat on medium low for about a minute. Swirl and set aside.
Serve the soup with a few drops or drizzle of the cayenne cream. Enjoy!