CARROT GINGER SOUP AND FOUR'EASTERS

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You know that glow you have when you return from vacation?

I'm not talking about a tan, although that's nice, too.

I mean that inner glow.........

The peaceful feeling that comes when you leave your usual surroundings
and forget about real life for awhile. 

Ah, if only we could hold onto that feeling indefinitely!

One thing I learned recently is ..........

The staying power of the inner glow is not relative 
to the amount of time you've been away.  
 

Whether you've been gone for a weekend or a month, 

that happy vacation feeling can be wiped out in a nanno-second.

After spending a month in Florida, 

driving home in a Bomb Cyclone (aka a nor'easter on steroids)

quickly faded our psychological suntans.

Little did we know that three more nor'easters 
were going to descend upon us in less than three weeks.

Yup, count 'em.......four nor'easters!
We thought we'd miss most of winter's angry weather
while we were away for the month of February,
but "four'easters" upon our return zapped that vacation "high" so completely,
it had us wondering........were we really away??? 
Or was it just a dream?

You know what they always say.........

When life gives you snowstorms, make soup.

I was thumbing through a new Wegman's catalogue,
and the soup recipes caught my eye.
I had already tried the Tomato Basil soup, and it was a success. 

During nor'easter #2 (or was it #3? I've lost track)
I gave the Carrot Ginger Soup a go.
It was really easy to make, and ready to eat in under an hour.
Would I make it if it wasn't? 😉

I was a little worried that Mr. Goo Shoes wouldn't like
a soup where carrots were the main attraction.
He can be picky, preferring the standards 
like chicken noodle, or New England clam chowder.

I placed a bowl in front of him, and waited.
Would he think it was a souper blooper or souper-dooper?

He liked it -- he really liked it!

It has a thick and creamy consistency,
yet each 1-cup serving has only 110 calories.
I can't tell you if it freezes well (although I can't imagine it wouldn't),
because we polished it off in three nights.
Carrot Ginger Soup is a keeper.

CARROT GINGER SOUP
(Recipe by Wegmans)

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
2 Stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 White onion, peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
2 Tbsp. Stir In Ginger Paste (afflil. link)
1 Container (32 oz.) chicken stock
1 Container (20 oz.) Wegman's Carrot Puree (or make your own carrot puree: 
Easy recipe here)
Salt and Pepper to taste 
Pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
Croutons (optional)

Heat oil in large stockpot on medium heat. 
Add celery and onions; cook 10 minutes, until softened.
Add ginger, stock, and carrot puree; stir to combine.
Bring to simmer 30 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Transfer mixture to blender; puree until smooth.  
Garnish with pumpkin seeds and add croutons, if desired.

Yield: 8 cups

All this bad weather threw me for a loop....
but it was all made better by a big pot of soup!

Linking with:
Best of the Weekend


You may also like: 

Tomato Basil Soup

Pumpkin Bisque