June 13, 2010: Carrot-maple soup

Our recipe calendar is very seasonally appropriate, so as the cold weather came in this month, it offered up a perfectly warming soup recipe.  This is a neat combination of flavours, with the ginger and maple syrup adding a bit of sweetness and bite to what is otherwise a straightforward carrot soup recipe. The whole process takes a bit of time - you've got to roast everything first and then turn it into soup, but it's all quite simple to do and the end result is worth the effort.  It's quite sweet, but it feels healthy and hearty and was perfect for a cold night at home.

Carrot and Maple Syrup Soup

1kg carrots, sliced 2cm thick

2 onions, roughly chopped

4cm piece of ginger, grated

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

4 cups vegie stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Toss together carrots, onions, ginger, garlic, oil and maple syrup with salt and pepper.  Spread them out on a lined baking tray and roast, turning a couple of times, for thirty minutes.  The carrots should have just started to brown a bit.

Tip the vegies and juices into a big pot and pour in the stock.  Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes until everything is tenderised.  

Mush everything up with a stick blender, doing your best not to spray the kitchen with carrot juice - it should be thick and smooth.

Serve it up and drizzle with maple syrup to garnish.