Carrot-Ginger Bisque

I've posted this recipe before but not in quite a while.But it is so easy to make and so delicious and so good for you that I thought I'd post it again. It is an excellent winter or spring soup that can be served hot in the cold months and chilled during the dog days of summer. The only variation in the recipe (there always has to be one) is that I did not include a recipe for the parsley puree. This is done easily by combining washed parsley and plain yogurt with a pinch of sea salt in a blender and pureeing until very smooth. And the images below illustrate how to garnish it as if it were served in a restaurant. The only tools you need are an ordinary squirt bottle and a knife. There are plenty of designs and this is a simple one. Draw lines in the soup and gently draw the tip of a pointy knife back and forth through the puree. Lacking a squirt bottle, simple drizzle some of the puree from the tip of a spoon and drag a knife through it for your unique design...channel your inner Picasso.

Carrot Soup with Ginger, Curry and Yogurt

Makes about 2 quarts

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1-2 tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoon honey or sugar

1-1/2 pounds peeled, diced carrots

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy soup pot. Add the onion, ginger and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the curry and honey; sauté 2 minutes. Add the carrots, broth, and salt. Bring the soup to a boil, then lower it to a simmer; skim any impurities that may rise to the surface. Cook the soup for approximately 45 minutes, or until the carrots are very soft. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the yogurt. Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender or food processor and purée until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and warm it, but do not boil (boiling it may curdle the yogurt). Serve hot or chilled. 

Urban Simplicity.