Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup

To celebrate Winter Solstice, I made a batch of this creamy carrot-ginger soup, one of my favorite vegetable soup recipes. Although it calls for cream, it doesn’t include any oil or butter, a reasonable balance. You can easily substitute half and half or even whole milk for the cream.

Our local farmers market is full of winter produce and I had a bunch of carrots I’d picked up last Friday. Even in the supermarkets, organic carrots are readily available and inexpensive.

Since I only had left-over rice following an Asian take-out meal, I bought precooked brown rice at Trader Joe’s. The brown rice is a healthier addition with its added fiber and nutrients.

I wanted watercress as a garnish, but was unable to find any this time of year. Flat-leaved parsley works just fine. This soup reheats beautifully. Just be certain not to boil when reheating.

Serves 8 as a starter, 6 as a main course

• 1 lb. organic carrots, topped and peeled
• 3 stalks organic celery, including leaves
• 1 medium-sized organic yellow onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
• 7 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 cup cream
• watercress or flat-leaved parsley

1. Slice the carrots and celery. Place in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (such as Le Creuset). Add onion and ginger.

2. Add the chicken stock and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove pot from heat and stir in cooked rice. Add salt and pepper and stir.

4. Using a blender, puree soup in small batches and return to pot.

5. Add the cream, stir and correct seasoning.

6. Garnish with watercress or parsley and serve.