Curried Carrot Soup

This is a simple soup with few ingredients yet its taste is by no means ordinary. I’ve had people that don’t even like carrots try it and rave about it. It’s makes a nice beginning to an ethnic themed meal- try it with the Quick Spiced Indian Lentils and Vegetables Recipe.

Ingredients:

7 cups washed, peeled and sliced carrots
1/2 cup chopped white onion
Two 14 ounce cans of chicken or vegetable broth (*use a gluten-free brand such as Progresso Natural if you are on a gluten-free diet)
1/2 cup light coconut milk (I get mine at Trader Joes)
2 teaspoons curry
ICB spray or olive oil using olive oil sprayer (if both n/a use a teaspoon of olive oil)
dash of salt and pepper, nonfat yogurt/sour cream (optional)

Directions:

Put the carrots in a large Pyrex dish filled with and inch of water and steam in the microwave on high for about 8 minutes or until very tender. If you don’t have a Pyrex, other options are to boil them in a pot, or even better, try using two Glad® Simply Cooking™ Microwave Steaming Bags, 3.5 cups of carrots in each bag, no water, microwaving on high for 4 minutes each bag. If you are boiling or steaming the carrots in water, drain the liquid after cooking.

While the carrots are steaming, place the onions in a small pan sprayed with ICB or olive oil sprayer (or drizzle with a teaspoon of oil) and sauté on high heat until just before browned. Place the cooked carrots and onions in a large pot and pour in the two cans of broth. Add the two teaspoons of curry powder and heat until just before boiling (5 minutes or so). Remove from heat and carefully transfer the soup into a blender. If you have a smaller blender only add one fourth to half of the mixture at a time (you can put the other half in the dish until ready to blend).

A note about blending hot liquids: in order to be safe, it is recommended when you blend hot liquids that you never fill the jar more than half full, that you put the lid on and then cover it with a dry towel and hold it down by hand. Or instead, cover with the top, but leave out the center plastic covering, place a kitchen towel on top which will allow air to escape more gently Also, use as slow a speed as possible. NEVER blend hot liquids fully covered and at high-initial speed...you're just inviting burns as the hot liquid quickly blends, heats up the air above it, and causes an explosion through the blender top

Blend on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth consistency is reached. Put the blended mixture back in the saucepan, add the coconut milk and warm on low heat stirring frequently (to prevent the thick soup from spattering) for about 5-10 minutes.

Variations:

To reduce sodium content, use low sodium chicken broth

Makes 7 cups, seven servings

Serving size: 1 cup Calories 73 Protein 1.7 g Carbs 13.6 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 6 g Fat 1.7g Sat 1 g
Sodium 383 mg