Carrot Soup with Orange and Ginger

On our first night of vacation in Maui, Hawaii, we had carrot ginger soup as part of our dinner. McHubby loved it! Now that we’re back home, I wanted to make the soup that reminded us of our first dinner on the beautiful island. This recipe wasn’t exactly like the soup we had on Maui—this one adds the flavor of orange zest and juice. This soup was very easy to make. I also added some honey to cut the acidity.

Source: Carrot Soup with Orange and Ginger, Williams Sonoma Soup

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, including tender green parts, thinly sliced
1 red potato, about ½ pound, peeled and coarsely diced
1 ½ teaspoons peeled and minced or grated fresh ginger
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock or prepared broth
½ cup fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Thin orange slices for garnish (optional)
Fresh mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Directions
In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the leeks and sauté until just slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, potato, and ginger and sauté until the vegetables are just softened, about 5 minutes longer.

Add the stock, cover partially, and simmer until the vegetables are completely softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches, leaving some texture, and return the soup to the pan. Alternatively, process with a handheld blender in the pan until the desired consistency is reached. Return the soup to medium heat and stir in the orange juice and zest. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and garnish each serving with an orange slice and a sprig of mint.