Desiree's Famous Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

I was honored to eat this soup that Desiree made around the campfire by New Harmony, Indiana. And I was even more honored to eat the leftovers that Desiree kindly let me take home. I love this soup! It's warming and substantial, even though it's only made with veggies!

(I was trying for my best Martha Stewart description at the beginning of this paragraph, but failed miserably. Too bad I don't have pictures of our sophisticated---though slightly ragged---bunch eating soup, drinking beer, and granging on all kinds of goodies sprawled on the picnic table...until the massive skunk in the woods scared us into tucking some of our goodies away! Eat your heart out, Martha!)


Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup

1½ pound carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
1 pound parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
1 large onion, sliced
3 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
8 cups rich chicken broth (more if necessary)
Salt, to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup crème fresh, for garnish
Snipped fresh chives, for garnish


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine carrots, parsnips, and ginger in shallow roasting pan. Dot with butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.
3) Pour 2 cups of broth into pan, cover well with foil and bake until vegetables are very tender, about 2 hours
4) Transfer the vegetables and broth to a large pot. Add remaining 6 cups of broth, the salt and the cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for about 10 minutes.
5) Puree the soup in batches in blender or food processor, adding more broth if necessary. Return the soup to the pot. Adjust the seasonings and heat through. Serve each portion dolloped with a teaspoon of crème fresh and sprinkled with chives.
Serves 10. Per serving: 150 calories, 20 g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 8g fat, 20 mg cholesterol