Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrots, carrots, and more carrots. I have this tendency to hoard my garden carrots over the summer, only to then not eat them at all because it snows and I never pull them up. Determined to actually consume their tastiness, I tried this recipe from the Seward Co-op. It involves roasting the carrots for a couple of hours, which made the kitchen smell amazing. The soup did not disappoint - I give it a 10!

2 lbs carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise (I only peeled some)
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 T olive oil
6 cups veggie broth, preferably homemade (I used chicken broth)
1 c. cream
salt to taste
1 t ground coriander
1/2 t ground cumin
pinch of cayenne (adjust to taste)
To garnish: creme fraiche, handful chopped cilantro, 2 T toasted caraway seeds.

Preheat oven to 350. Combine the carrots, garlic and ginger in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with 4 T olive oil. Pour 2 c. broth into pan, cover tightly with foil and bake until the vegetables are very tender (about 2 hours).

When veggies are about done, heat the last 2 T oil in a large soup pot and add onions. Cook until translucent, then add the coriander and cumin. Cook over low heat for about 6 minutes to allow slices to bloom (I have no idea what this means). Add the roasted veggies with broth to the onion and spices along with last 4 c. broth. Season to taste with salt and cayenne and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes (oops, i didn't simmer long enough).

Allow soup to cool, then puree until smooth, in blender or food processor or if you have one of those fancy burr whip hand blender things. Return soup to pot, adjust seasonings if needed, and add the cream. Serve each portion with creme fraiche (i didn't have any), sprinkled with cilantro and toasted caraway.