Roasted Herbed Carrot Soup

 Vegetables rarely get the chance to be the star of a recipe, and I think that’s unfair.  I am a veggie obsessed person, so I like to bring veggies out of their supporting roles .  I make sure to have my “everyday salad” at lunch to be sure to fit them in to my day.  Vegetables are also one of my favorite things to snack on, carrots in particular.  I always buy the baby carrots for snacking, but when I really want carrots to shine I buy the large ones, which seem to be more flavorful.  Roasting carrots brings out the rich depth of earthy flavors along with a natural sweetness.  For this soup, I also added some herbs to brighten the rich flavor.

Spring is right around the corner which means Easter is almost here!  This soup would be a perfect idea for an Easter meal.  The bright orange color is really fun and the bright flavors are exactly what you want for Springtime.

Roasted Herbed Carrot Soup

2 lbs carrots; peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

1 large (or 2 small) shallots; minced

1 clove garlic; finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh)

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1/2 cup dry white wine; room temperature

4 cups vegetable stock

2 1/2 cups water; or more for a thinner soup

Pesto for drizzling on top; optional

Directions:

*Preheat your oven to 415 degrees

*Peel the carrots and chop them into 1 inch pieces

*Place the carrots on to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, toss with olive oil and salt

*Bake for 30-40 minutes or until softened and cooked through

*Pour 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat

*You can also add a tablespoon or two of butter if you want the extra flavor, but it’s optional

*Add in the minced shallot and a sprinkle of salt

*Cook until the shallot has softened, a few minutes

*Add in the garlic and herbs, cook for a minute or two to soften but not brown

*Pour in the white wine and allow the wine to reduce for a few minutes

*Stir in the vegetable stock and water

*Add in the roasted carrots

*Bring to a boil

*Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes

*Remove from heat and use a hand blender to blend to soup until smooth OR carefully pour the hot soup into a blender and blend until the soup is smooth and pour back into the pot

*Simmer for another 5-10 minutes stirring every so often

*Serve or allow to cool completely and refrigerate for later use

*Like to mix pesto with a little olive oil until you are able to drizzle it; then drizzle it over the soup

*This is more of a thick soup so if you want it to be thinner you can simply add more water when you are blending until you achieve the consistency you like