Ingredients

• avocado oil or olive oil
• 2 lbs carrots, peeled
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp allspice
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 – 7 oz (1/4 – 1/2 can) of coconut milk or cream (optional)
• chives

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF.
2. Place the peeled carrots on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet and drizzle lightly with oil. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, flipping them after 25 minutes.
3. After flipping the carrots, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onions to the pot and cook for 2 minutes or until translucent.
4. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and stir for another minute.
5. Add the broth and spices. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn the heat down for a gentle simmer.
6. When the carrots are finished in the oven, they should be soft and nicely caramelized. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool briefly. Chop them into smaller pieces, then place the chopped carrots in the pot and stir to combine.
7. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a high-powered countertop blender. Blend the soup until it's pureed and smooth.
8. If you used a countertop blender, transfer back to the stovetop pot and set to medium-low heat. Watch carefully as the soup may bubble.
9. Stir in the lemon juice and the coconut cream (reserve a bit of the cream for garnish). Add more salt and pepper to taste.
10. Pour into bowls and garnish with a swirl of coconut milk, chives, and more fresh black pepper.

Notes

• Goes well with a warm baguette. Toss it in the oven whole right before you're about to blend, and take it out and cut the bread right before serving.
• Coconut cream will make the soup more, well, creamy, but the soup is pretty creamy without it. It does look very good as a garnish though.