Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
6 to 8 large carrots (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
6 cups low sodium vegetable stock (Trader Joe's Organic brand preferred)
1 piece ginger, an inch long, peeled
1 sprig thyme, plus more for garnish
1/2 large sweet onion
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
freshly ground black pepper

Preparing the soup:
Peel and cut the carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt. Set an oven rack 6 to 8 inches from the heat source and turn on the broiler. Broil the carrots until they brown and soften, turning them over with a spatula every 5 minutes or so; this should take 15 to 20 minutes.

Bring the stock to a boil in pan, add the ginger and the sprig of thyme and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Put the onion in a stock pot with the remaining olive oil. Brown the onion over medium heat, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, and then add the carrots.
Remove the ginger and thyme from the stock and add the stock to the pot with the onions and carrots. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the carrots are soft enough to puree.

Use an immersion or a standard blender to puree the mixture until smooth. If the soup seems too thick, add more stock or water and reheat gently. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh thyme before serving.

Serves 4