- 2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fragrant nut oil or light olive oil
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 2 large celery stalks, diced
- 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, coriander, ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup low-fat milk or soymilk, or as needed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 tablespoons finely minced scallion
Reserve and set aside about 1/2 pound of the carrots.
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and celery and saute over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the carrots (except for the reserved batch), along with 4 cups of water, the juice, wine, and spices. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over moderate heat until the vegetables are quite tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer in batches to the container of a food processor or blender and puree until quite smooth.
Return to low heat and stir in enough milk or soymilk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the soup stand off the heat for several hours before serving.
Just before serving, steam the reserved carrots until crisp tender and stir into the soup along with the parsley and scallion. Taste to correct consistency and seasonings before serving.
- Yields: 8 to 10 servings
- Preparation Time: about 1 hour