Mindy Carlson

Quite a few years ago (so long ago it hurts to remember) I lived in Berkeley where everyone does yoga, experiments with veganism, and takes quick jaunts up to Napa for a bottle of wine that will go with dinner.  My coworkers and I were constantly sharing recipes back and forth. One that I still have and make regularly during the fall and winter is Carrot Soup.

It was given to me by my friend/coworker/masseusse Danielle with her notations and annotations scribbled below and on the side of the photocopied page. She’s given great instructions on how to double it and I don’t think I’ve ever made a single-sized batch. And I don’t share.

Well, I used to not share and then my youngest discovered that carrot soup was delicious and he forced me into sharing through sheer stubbornness (“I’m not going to eat anything else”), repeated and annoying asking (“Mommy….Mommy….Mommy”), and guilt (“don’t you want me to grow up healthy?” <bats eyelashes and gives sad face>).

So now I share.

And this is a very healthy meal to have. It’s only 128 calories per bowl and there are 8 bowls in a double batch. Frankly, I’m going to just double the recipe below and have that be the recipe I give you here. It doesn’t make sense to make a regular pot full unless you don’t have a large 6-quart pot to cook in. So, here we go.

Healthy Carrot Soup

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 lbs carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and diced (If you are only going to make a single batch 1 potato is all you need)
• 2 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 3 pints of a vegetable stock (you can also use bouillon)
• 1/2 cup of fresh orange juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 drops of Tabasco (if you want it with a bit of a kick)

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, potatoes, and onion. Saute them gently for about 5 minutes, without browning.

Add the vegetable stock. Bring it up to a boil and then lower the heat to simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Shut off the heat and let the soup cool for about 5 minutes. Then use a stick blender to blend up the chunks of vegetables until they are a nice thick soup.  If you don’t have a stick blender you can use a regular blender or food processor, but you will need to process the soup in batches.

Add the orange juice and season with the salt and pepper. Add in that Tabasco if you want, or just dish it up into a bowl and enjoy it with a slice of baguette.

A voila! You have a delicious and healthy soup!

This is such a satisfying soup for being so simple to make. And it freezes really well. Just make sure it is totally cool before ladling it into a freezer bag or a bowl.

Enjoy!