Thai Carrot Soup

Ahhh… I love Fall… and my family loves this amazing soup! This is one of my favorite recipes.  It is wonderful as a starter or as a meal on its own.  It is perfect for this time of year because its healthy ingredients (esp. the fresh ginger & garlic) help prepare our bodies for colder temperatures and flu season.

Another wonderful thing about this soup is that it freezes well – my husband always teases me about my obsession of freezing things, but I’m sure many of you other moms know how nice it is when you can defrost something easily that was originally homemade!

While preparing this soup today, my daughter saw the fresh ginger on the counter & said, "What IS that?! It's got FINGERS on it!"

~ Thai Carrot Soup ~

(Since these ingredients will get pulsed in the food processor, you can leave the ingredients chopped kinda chunky, though I would mince up the ginger & garlic to avoid a large chunk in your soup… Also, since it will be blended up, it isn’t necessary to peel the carrots unless you really want to!)

Bring to a boil & simmer until carrots are tender in a large pot (about 20 minutes):

• 1 small-medium sized red onion, chopped
• nice big handful of basil, chopped
• nice big handful of cilantro, chopped
• 8 chopped carrots (between 4  1/2 – 5 cups, sliced into 1/4″ rounds)
• 3 Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped/minced (I think the fastest way to peel fresh ginger is to scrape off the peel with a spoon)
• 3 Tbsp fresh garlic, chopped/minced
• 5 cups vegetable broth

Process/pulse in small batches in food processor until smooth (or as chunky) as you prefer! This part can get a little messy! Return to pot and add the remaining ingredients.

• juice of 2 limes (you must use fresh limes – do not use lime juice in a jar!)
• 1 can regular coconut milk
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (I usually use a low-sodium kind)
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar

Simmer on low-medium to let flavors blend together for several more minutes (don’t let it boil) until ready to serve!

(Though I always blend mine up, I’ve always wondered how this soup would be without doing that!  I think it would still be just as good! If you try it that way, let me know how it is!)

My 3 1/2 year old loves to eat this thai carrot soup!

THIS SOUP CONTAINS… (aka a little health lesson)

The health benefits of carrots include reduced cholesterol, prevention from heart attacks, warding off certain cancers, improving eyesight & more. Most of the benefits of carrots can be attributed to its beta carotene & fiber. It is also a good source of antioxidant agents as well. Carrots are rich in vitamins A, C, K & potassium!

Ginger does many amazing things for the body… It relieves morning & motion sickness, has anti inflammatory properties, is a natural painkiller, provides heartburn relief, helps upset stomachs and is a natural treatment for colds & flu.  It has also been found to help with menstrual cramps, migraines, allergies, coughs, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, toothaches & warts! Its newest findings show that it helps fight colon & ovarian cancer cells as well! I’d certainly call that a super-food!