Carrot, Sweet Potato, + Ginger Soup

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• kosher salt
• 1 lb carrots, cubed (about 3 and 1/2 cups when cubed)
• 1 lb sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 3 cups when cubed)
• 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons diced or grated fresh ginger, divided
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, I love Diaspora Co. turmeric
• juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves and stems, plus more for serving
• Toppings:
• Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
• Lime wedges
• Crushed red chili flakes such as gochugaru flakes a kind of Korean chili flake, or even Marash or Aleppo if youhave them on hand.

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• The Veggies: Use all carrots or all sweet potatoes if preferred. I've also incorporated cauliflower florets, which add creaminess without overwhelming the carrots and sweet potatoes. Butternut squash would also work well here.
• The Stock: Chicken stock or broth are my go-tos for richness. Vegetable stock or broth work for vegetarian and vegan swaps. If you have all of the ingredients on hand except for stock - skip a trip to the store and just use water in a pinch. If using water, you'll likely want to up the amount of kosher salt and other aromatic ingredients for added flavor. Season and taste as you go!
• The Optional Flavorful Add-Ins: If you're using veggie broth I highly recommend adding a tablespoon of miso paste while cooking the onions to add a punch of flavor. Adding up to 1 cup of canned, full-fat unsweetened coconut milk adds richness and fattiness - it definitely switches up the flavor profile so if you go that route, start with a splash, stir, and taste.
• The Heat: I *love* adding sambal olek (garlic chili paste) or Thai red curry for a little heat. Korean chili paste would add heat with some welcome funk. If you add these, add them into the pot with the onions.

Sweat the onions + garlic

1. Add olive oil to a heavy bottomed stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add diced onion, stir to coat in olive oil, and season generously with kosher salt.
3. Saute diced onion over medium heat for several minutes until soft, stirring occasionally. You're not going for browning here - just gently sweating the onion until soft and translucent to keep the flavor more delicate.
4. Add diced garlic, stir, cook until garlic is fragrant, about a minute or so.

Simmer the veg until fork-tender

1. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, broth, and half of the ginger to pot. The veggies should be submerged - if they aren't, add a little more broth to cover.
2. Season generously with several big pinches of kosher salt, bring to a boil, and then simmer, covered with lid, for about 25 minutes, or just until the veggies are fork-tender.

Add remaining aromatics + blend

1. When sweet potatoes and carrots are cooked through, add the remaining ginger, turmeric, lime juice, and cilantro to the pot, and give everything a big stir to combine. If you are worried about turmeric staining your blender, add it to the pot after blending if preferred.
2. Blend everything in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. If you have a high-powered blender like a Vitamix, gradually increase the speed and blend for over a minute - it'll become wildly velvety and smooth. Transfer back into dutch oven to keep warm until serving. Taste and adjust to add more salt and lime if needed.

Finish + serve

1. Serve while warm. Top individual bowls with more chopped cilantro, freshly squeezed lime juice and crushed red chili flakes.

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