Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients

• 3/4 lbs potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
  
• 3 TBLS Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1-2 TBLS minced fresh gingerroot
• 2 1/4 lbs carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped (6 cups)
• 2 TBLS vegetarian chicken flavored powder
• 3 cups boiling water
• 4-5 cups water
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp cardamom
• 1 1/4 tsp salt (I omitted)
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 cup half-and-half (optional and I omitted)
  
• Cracked pepper to taste

Directions

1. Immerse potatoes in cold water and set aside. Heat buttery spread in soup pot, add onion, gingerroot and carrots. Saute 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.
   
2. Prepare broth by dissolving vegetarian chicken-flavored powder in boiling water. Drain potatoes and add vegetarian broth and potatoes to vegetable mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender.
   
3. Place veggies in a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan, add 4-5 cups of water (to desired consistency). Gently reheat over medium heat, add nutmeg, cardamom, peppers and half-and-half (if desired). Adjust seasonings to taste.
   

Top with anything you wish! Has a brilliant autumn color and texture. Feel free to add butternut squash or sweet potatoes instead of carrots for a new variety of it. I topped with toasted pumpkin seeds for texture! Add julienned carrots or peeled orange for a more interesting flavor! Stands great by itself too!

Review... Chautara Restaurant

Unanimously everyone's favorite dish.

A very close second for deliciousness. The veggies were cooked to perfection!

Third place winner, but still very yummy. Cabbage, nicely spiced but not too hot!

Chautara Restaurant

334 State St
Madison, WI 53703-2021

(608) 251-3626‎

Drooling. Still drooling. Everything was pure deliciousness. It didn't help that I was starving upon our arrival to Chautara. No pictures of our appetizers were taken due to my over-eagerness to devour everything in site. The pictures go in order of my preference for the dishes (top being my favorite, and unfortunately wasn't my meal, but Veg Vixens are great at sharing). The spice was perfection. The only slightly downside, is I could have done with slightly less oil on the veggies.

There is something about dining outdoors in nice weather, people watching and being in lovely company on State Street that will always make me long for Madison.

I cannot rave enough about our dishes. The grilled tofu was perfection! The sauce is so delicious, it's the kind of thing you want to lick every last drop out of the ramekin. Order it, love it, enjoy it as much as we did!