Carrot and Coconut Soup

Let's face it, I've been eating crap for the past month.  Yummy, cake-filled crap.  I haven't put on any weight because I adhere to portion control, but the nutritional value of the food has been lacking.

So I decided to use some leftover carrots to make a carrot soup.  But what kind of carrot soup?  Orange, ginger, hearty vegetable, mint, chicken, creamy, broth-based... the list keeps going.  I strolled the aisles of the supermarket, and decided to use a can of coconut milk instead of half-and-half in a ginger-orange recipe.

OK, remember that part about eating crap?  Coconut milk has so much saturated fat in it, I might as well have used lard.  Actually, lard probably has less fat in it.  But I love the taste of coconut.

When served hot, this soup tastes strongly of creamy carrot.  I tried it chilled, and the coconut and orange flavors dominated.  Either way, it's silky smooth and filling.

*1 lb fresh carrots
Juice of 1 orange (about 1/2 C)
1 Tb ginger
1 can coconut milk

1.  Chop carrots into bite-sized pieces.  In a large saucepan, combine carrots, ginger, juice, coconut milk, and 2 C water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Cook until carrots are soft, about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally, or the coconut will cook weird.

2.  In a blender or food processor, purée carrots and about 1 cup of liquid until very smooth.  Return to soup pot and stir in.  Serve either hot or chilled.  Suggested garnishes: carrot curls, orange zest, or coconut flakes.

Difficulty rating  π