Carrot Soup For the Sick

I had a bad feeling last week that I was going to be coming down with something.

Mostly because I had a feverish, hacking child in my bed in the middle of the night. There was no escaping the coughing that was going on as he buried his head in my neck. We had two nights of interrupted sleep which is nothing when you are raising a baby....but after years of peaceful sleep that comes with having a ten year old, those two wakeful nights are murder. After a trip to the doctor, a diagnosis of croup and a dose of Prednisone, my boy was on the mend.

Now Mommy and Daddy are feeling it. Post-nasal drip, scratchy throats, ear pain. The beginnings of a cold.

In the past a cold would mean comfort food to me. Junk like hot ramen noodle soup or a bowl of ice cream. You know... to soothe my sore throat. Drs. Ben and Jerry to the rescue.

Three and a half weeks and a nice weight loss into the 17 Day Diet I am not giving in to junk food. I scoured recipe blogs looking for some kind of soup that would appeal to me and fit the diet requirements at the same time.  I found a Carrot Ginger soup that looked relatively easy and palatable.

Now I did tweak it a bit...I added some pepper and some pumpkin pie spice. It would probably be good with a bit of Greek yogurt swirled into it as well. Whatever you add, it is an easy and healthy option for those nights you feel a little under the weather, or just need a hot cup of soup!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated (*I mashed mine into a paste)

 For garnish: chives, creme fraiche, orange zest, etc

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium-low heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.

2. Add the onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. Add the carrots and about 2 cups of the broth (enough to cover the carrots completely.)

5. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a gentle boil.

6. Reduce the heat to low, cover the soup, and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are completely cooked through.

7. Very carefully, using an immersion blender or a blender (in batches), puree the soup until smooth.

8. Add the remaining 4 cups of broth and ginger and cook until the soup is completely heated through, about 10 minutes or so. Garnish as desired.

Source:  Adapted from Williams-Sonoma.