AUTUMN CARROT-GINGER SOUP

This soup can be scary good. And I mean that. I made it two Halloween's ago for my husband. We were carving pumpkins. Well, I was carving them, he was butchering them. And between stealing bite-sized Snickers' meant for the walk-ups my husband would sneak sips of the soup, asking "Are you sure this is right?" I think it went right. He's not sure. Guess it was so scary good I frightened the memory of this concoction clear out of his brain. So my recommendation is, pick the right occasion. Make it for Christmas and you never know what you'll find in your stocking!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Butter

2 ½ lbs Carrots

1 Medium Yellow Onion

2 Tbsp Chopped Ginger

½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

3 Qts. Chicken stock

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic

Salt to Taste

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp Nutmeg

½ Cup Brown sugar

Instructions:

Peel and chop onions, carrots, and ginger.  Heat olive oil and butter in a large stock pot (taller is better). Add onions and sweat until translucent. When onions are translucent, add carrots, garlic, and ginger.  Sauté for two to three minutes to release flavor and add chicken stock.  Simmer for forty five minutes or until carrots are soft but not falling apart.  Purée using a buerre mixer or cuisinart. Add salt, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, and remaining ingredients; continue to cook for fifteen minutes.