It’s almost Thanksgiving. To me that means it’s time to scour food magazines, pinterest, instagram — anywhere I can get new, fresh ideas for such a traditional meal. I love the basics but with a twist. So here’s one for you…instead of the traditional butternut squash soup, why not try my Carrot Ginger Soup! It has the same creamy texture (with no cream mind you) and it’s such a healthy, flavorful soup. It makes the perfect Thanksgiving lunch if you’re like me and want something super light yet satisfying before the big dinner. However, it also makes a lovely first course if you enjoy serving soup to begin your Thanksgiving meal. I like to top my soup with fresh, crispy sage leaves* — they are so incredibly delicious on their own but when paired with this soup…WOW! You could also top the soup with toasted pine nuts, garlic croutons, or even something as simple as snippets of fresh parsley. If you’re artistic, try a dollop of plain greek yogurt swirled in a fancy design (an image of a turkey comes to mind).

Begin by sauteing the shallots in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for roughly 2-3 minutes. Next, add the diced carrots, stirring often as they cook. When the carrots start to soften, add the minced ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Heat for an additional 5 minutes, being careful not to let the ginger or garlic burn. Add your broth, cumin and paprika and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Lastly, turn off the heat and using an immersion blender puree the soup until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Ingredients:

2-3 shallots, minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb mini carrots, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp paprika

Makes roughly 4 servings.

* To make the crispy sage, brown 2 tbsp of salted butter in a skillet. When the butter is nicely browned and bubbly add the fresh sage leaves and cook until crispy (5 minutes max). Tastes so good, you’ll eat them like candy!!

A study in orange shadows…