Recipe: Cream of Carrot Soup with Fresh Ginger

Hi Carlotta!
I am wondering if perhaps since it was in Jamaica they might have had yams or sweet potatoes added to the base since they are abundant and regularly used in Jamaica..this recipe uses a yam and the addition of the cream is just before it is reheated and served...so perhaps you can experiment with a bowl and try adding a little cream of coconut in place of the cream?? Anyways, here is a recipe that sounds delicious..Good luck in re-creating your dish! Keep us posted!

Cream of Carrot Soup with Fresh Ginger

If you are among those who assume that soup comes from a can or a restaurant, this recipe will allow you to discover for yourself how simple it is to make a savory soup from scratch. All you have to do is a little slicing and dicing. The exotic flavor of fresh ginger combined with the sweet spice of the nutmeg will do the rest of the work for you. Trust me, if you can connect the dots, you'll be enjoying a party in your mouth in less than an hour. Mr. Campbell, eat your heart out.

Ingredients
7 cups of chicken stock,(or vegetable stock if you are serving vegetarians)
4 tablespoons butter
2 lbs. fresh carrots, peeled
3 leeks, sliced in half lengthwise and thoroughly cleaned
1 yam, peeled
4 stalks of celery
1 three-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 pint of heavy cream

1. In a large pot, bring stock to a boil.
2. Chop all vegetables into small pieces (approximately 1/2 inch cubes).
3. In a saut pan, over med-high heat, melt half of the butter. Saut vegetables with ginger and nutmeg for approximately 15 minutes, or until vegetables are browned. Add remaining butter as needed.
4. Add saut ed vegetables to stock, reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Let cool to room temperature and then puree in a blender. Soup should be thick and smooth.
6. Add salt and pepper.
7. To serve, add approximately 1 tablespoon of cream per serving and re-heat. Do not let boil.
8. Serve in warmed bowls.
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Le Secret: Browning the vegetables before simmering them brings out their naturally sweet flavors. The browner (without burning), the better.

- Adding the cream at the reheating stage, rather than all at once, extends the refrigerator life of the soup.

Alternatives: Use half & half instead of heavy cream -

Warning: If you attempt to puree soup before it has cooled down, the top of the blender will blow and you will have an orange kitchen. (Trust me, I've been there.)