Recipe: Very Orange Crock-Pot Soup

Ingredients

2-3 lbs carrots, peeled or washed
1 cup red lentils
1 small chunk ginger root or 1 teaspoon dried
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 (or more) cups milk

Method

Peel and mince the garlic.
Peel and grate the ginger.
Chop the onion small.
Sauté the garlic, ginger and onions in oil until very soft.
Stir in the curry powder and turmeric and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes.
Scoop the onions, garlic, and ginger from the pan into a crock pot.
Peel or scrub the carrots and chop into 1-inch pieces.
Add the carrots, lentils, and stock to the crock pot.
Cook on high for at least 2 hours or low for at least 4 hours, stirring once after the first hour. Check that there is enough liquid, and add more if necessary.
When the carrots are very soft, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a pot and add milk to desired consistency, heat on low for at least 15 minutes, stirring often.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream.
Serves 6-8.

Notes

You can cook this in a pot on the stove top instead of a crock-pot. I like the crock-pot because you can safely leave it alone for a couple of hours while you do something else, and I believe they are more energy efficient.

This soup freezes well, but only if you freeze it before adding the milk.