Soup for the Soul

I disappeared for a while. I know. Life seems unusually busy...but maybe thats just all in my head!

Anyway...

Soup. There is just something about a great soup. It's so warm and comforting. It makes you feel like you should wrap up in a blanket, throw on some slippers and cozy up on a couch before devouring a gigantic bowl. Especially with all this snow we've had, it seems like the perfect heart-warming meal. At least that's how I feel! Not so sure about you.

So surprise, surprise...I have been on a soup kick. They are so downright simple. And you end up making a lot and you can throw it in your freezer and use it when you want or need to like I have this week for lunches. Just make sure you have a really good piece of Tupperware for carrying it to work. As if that was not already obvious! I have these awesome ones that I am obsessed with. Nothing can get through the lids. They are made by Ziploc, in case you are curious.

But that is neither here nor there.

The soup! This soup is delicious. There aren't enough words to tell you how much I love this soup. It's creamy, smoky, sweet, silky, savory....and everything in between. The best part...it's uber good for you. I know I told you it's creamy, but I in no way used a drop of anything dairy-like. All of the ingredients are raw, which only makes me love this soup more.

This is definitely not the only recipe out there, but I used the one I found on Savory & Sweet. It's a great recipe, and of course, I highly recommend it.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashews adapted from Savory & Sweet

*2 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
*4 cups water

*1 Tablespoon olive oil
*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

1. 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)

2. Heat the olive oil in a small fry pan. Add onion and cook over medium heat until translucent. Add ginger, garlic, salt, and spices. Lower the heat and continue to saute for another 8-10 minutes, until the onions are soft. Stir in lemon juice.

3. Combine the spice-onion mixture with the carrots and the cashews. Use a blender to puree the mixture until smooth.

(Serves 8-10)

Feel free to devour numerous servings yourself!!