Recipe - Carrot Soup With North African Spices

Light Vegetable Stock
1 tablespoon Light olive oil
1 md Yellow onion; thinly cut or sliced up
Salt
2 Cloves garlic; minced
1 One half teaspoon Ground cumin
1 teaspoon Ground coriander
2 teaspoon Fresh ginger root; grated
Cayenne pepper
2 pound Carrots; thinly cut or sliced up
1 md Potato; thinly cut or sliced up
One half cup Fresh orange juice
One half cup Creme fraiche
2 tablespoon Cilantro; coarsely chopped

Make the stock and keep it warm over low heat.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot and add the onion and One half tsp. salt. Saute
over medium heat until it begins to release its juices, about 5 minutes,
then add the garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, and a few pinches of
cayenne. Cook until the onion is very soft, about 10 minutes, adding a
little stock if it sticks to the pan.

Add the carrots, potato, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 qt. stock. Bring to a gentle
boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the carrots are very
tender, about 15 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor
until smooth, using a little extra stock if needed. Return to the pot, add
the orange juice, and thin with stock to the desired consistency. Season
with salt to taste and, for additional heat, a pinch or two of cayenne.
Garnish each serving with a swirl of creme fraiche and sprinkle with
cilantro.

Makes 9 to 10 cups.

NOTE:" Cumin and coriander are the smooth background flavors, but it's the
fresh ginger, the orange juice, and a hint of cayenne that make this soup
sparkle. A little potato adds silky texture; if your carrots aren't sweet,
use a sweet potato instead."

Recipe by: Fields of Greens Annie Somerville

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #898 by KSBAUM@aol.com on Nov 10, 1997