Carrot Ginger Cashew Soup

It’s the end of the week.  You know what that means.  You’ve blown through all the good produce already.  You know.  The asparagus you paid $2.99 a pound for, the baby spinach leaves you so lovingly destemmed, and the lovely head of napa cabbage you just couldn’t resist.

And now it’s Friday.  And you’ve only got those carrots left.  Two pounds of sturdy, persistent, carrots.  Boy have I got the recipe for you!

I never would have made just regular carrot soup.  Afterall, I don’t like carrots *that* much.  But I absolutely love the combination of carrots and ginger.  And with the addition of toasted cashews to the soup, how could this disappoint?

Carrot Cashew Ginger Soup (serves 4, adapted from The New Moosewood Cookbook)
2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
4 cups water
1-1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons freshly grated ginger
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3-4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup toasted cashews

Place the carrots in a medium saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook until the carrots are very tender (10-15 minutes).  Spray a nonstick cooking pan with oil and saute onions until tender; add garlic, ginger, spices and continue to gently cook for 10 minutes.  Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.

Puree cooked carrots in their liquid with onion mixture and cashews.

Calories 267.1
Total Fat 12.6 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Total Carbohydrate 36.2 g
Dietary Fiber 8.2 g
Sugars 11.6 g
Protein 6.9 g