Gingered Carrot Orange Soup

Springtime has officially started in our hemisphere but it seems that the climate didn't get the news: they days are still grey and cold.
So I thought it would be nice to have something vitamin loaded and colorful on the table.
Have you ever had a graving for something orange colored that doesn't taste like pumpkin ?
Carrots are the answer!
This soup is a firework of flavors and is great for your health too.
Immune boosting ingredients, the natural sweetness of carrots and a spicy ginger touch.
Its great to warm you up on a chilly autumn evening and cheer you up with its bright, orange color.
In Lima, even outside its still winter, people are flocking to fitness centers, running, cycling and hiring personal trainers.
It's probably not the kind of people that are working out the whole year round for health and fitness reasons but the ones that are panicking because summer is around the corner and they want to bring their bodies in shape.
Lima is a city located at the sea, beaches are always crowded and you know what they say about competition and the laws of the free market.....
Anyhow, this is a recipe sans regret for the health,figure and fitness conscious.
You need:
500g organic carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
11/2 spoonful Olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
1 spoonful freshly grated ginger
1 clove
11/2 l vegetable stock
crème fraiche or sour cream for decoration
1 spoonful chopped cilantro or parsley ( I personally prefer cilantro, it adds a nice flavor to the spicy sweetness of this soup)
1/2 cup freshly squeezes orange juice
1teaspoon orange zest
Salt,pepper
Directions:
In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic until onions are translucent and fragrant.

Add carrots and ginger and sauté untril slightly soft.

Add stock, bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer until carrots are soft.

Add orange juice and season with salt and freshly grated black pepper.
Let the mixture cool down, then add the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until a purred soup forms.

Add orange zest, serve hot and decorate with a bit of crème fraiche and cilantro.





Serves 6 p.
Enjoy!