Creamy Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup

This recipe is very loosely inspired by Cook's Illustrated carrot ginger soup recipe. But honestly my left over coconut milk from the day before was the true inspiration.  Ginger, coconut milk and lime leaves gives this recipe a Thai bent that I always enjoy.  Coconut milk makes this soup velvety, and the lime leaves bring out, and compliment the ginger flavor.

Creamy Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 900 g (2 lbs) carrots, peeled, halved, cut in 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) slices
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) canola oil2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 l (4 cups) spring or filtered water
• 2 lime leaves (bruised)
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch of dried thyme
• 250 ml (1 cup) coconut milk
• To taste salt and freshly ground pepper

• In a saucepan, sweat onions and carrots in canola oil, covered, over medium low heat for 10 minutes.  Turn heat up to medium, add garlic and ginger and saute uncovered for 2 minutes. Add water, lime leaves, bay leaf, coconut milk, and thyme and simmer for 15 minutes (or until carrots are very tender).  Let cool slightly.  Puree until smooth, in batches, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.  

Note: Freezes well. If using cream instead add after pureed.  Cook's Illustrated's recipe uses carrot juice as the liquid.  That's a great idea, but very expensive!  Unless of course you have a juicer or a large budget.  The above soup has a lot of flavor without it.  Adding water may seem strange, but remember that in the act of making this recipe you are creating your own carrot stock.  I find the flavor of store bought vegetable stock kind of muddy and/or extremely bland and not worth it. If you would like to try it with homemade vegetable stock.  Make a stock that's heavy on the carrots.