Breaking in the Blender: Carrot Ginger Soup

Further proof that I might actually be turning into an adult: for Christmas, Ben gave me a blender-- and I was really excited about it! (Just so you know, he also gave me three bags of marshmallows and a stuffed animal koala, so I don't think I'm really an adult just yet.)

The blender's actually a pretty nifty little device. Depending on what attachment you use, it can serve as a traditional mixer, an immersion blender, or a pastry mixer. When Ben got it, I think he was imagining milkshakes, peanut butter pies, and other less-than-nutritious delights. I, on the other hand, had only one thing in mind: soup.

Something about Lausanne's cold, grey, and perpetual "wintery mix" has left me positively craving soup. After walking back from a long day at the EPFL, chilled from my toes to my nose, a hot bowl of soup sounds perfect. Although this carrot ginger soup was a bit time consuming, it was more than worth it and definitely hit the spot. 

creamy carrot ginger soup: a perfect way to warm up on
a cold january day.

Recipe

(adapted from this recipe. makes 2 large dinner-sized bowls. ) 

Ingredients
- 3 large carrots (about 1 pound)

- 1 endive*

- 1 onion

- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

- 2 cups vegetable stock

- 1/2 cup milk (I used 2.5%)

- 1-2 teaspoons grated ginger**

- salt and pepper, to taste

*Before making this, I had absolutely no idea what an endive was.  I googled several images, but still didn't recognize the mysterious vegetable, so I decided to just head to the grocery store and see what I could find.  Before leaving, I typed the "endive" into Google Translate, but when I clicked "French Translation", Google simply told me that the French word for "endive" was ....."endive". This is usually what Google Translate says when an English word has no French counterpart, so I assumed that endives were some sort of strange vegetable that did not exist in French-speaking countries. 

As I was walking through the grocery store, gathering ingredients, I noticed a sign: "Solde- Endive" ("Sale- Endive"). Apparently, the French word for endive is "endive." Not only did I actually find an endive, but it was on sale to boot! 

I often find myself pretty frustrated while grocery shopping in Switzerland (Where are the sweet potatoes? Why are black beans in the "exotic foods" section? Why does the peanut butter taste absolutely nothing like peanut butter?), but every once in a while, I am pleasantly surprised. 

**I used way more ginger than this-- closer to 1-2 tablespoons. This is because I am a) a huge ginger fan and b) absentminded. 

Step 1:  Chop the veggies. Cut the carrots into two-inch chunks, and cut the endive and onion into eighths. 

this is an endive. according to wikipedia, it's "a leafy
vegetable in the daisy family that can be eaten cooked
or raw." I thought it was pretty terrible raw, but in soup
it balanced the intensity of the ginger quite nicely. 

 Step 2: Coat the chopped veggies in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 F for 30 minutes.

out of the oven, and smelling wonderful. 

roasted carrots,  ready to be blended into soup. delicious!

Step 3: Remove roasted veggies from the oven, and place in a large sauce pan.  Add vegetable stock until vegetables are just covered-- for me, this was about three cups. Simmer on medium-low heat until carrots are very soft, or about 45 minutes.

roasted veggies, barely covered in vegetable broth. 

Step 4: Once carrots are soft, transfer veggies and broth to a large bowl. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. 

Step 5: Add milk, then add grated ginger, salt, and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy! 

delicious, warming soup.
(clearly, my food-photography skills need some work!
lesson 1: make sure rim of bowl is nice and clean
before photographing soup....)