It seems we’ve been on a soup streak here lately, and that is A-ok with me. I love soup — to the point that I don’t even discriminate against the canned stuff. I know it’s a sodium bomb and full of all sorts of processed crap, but on a cold day with crusty hunk of sourdough or a drippy grilled cheese, I’m not super picky.

If given the choice, however, a velvety, seasonal soup like this one — which can still be made start to finish in less than an hour — is an easy winner. Sweet, subtly spicy and surprisingly balanced in the health department, this one will keep you coming back meal after meal. Which is perfect, because leftovers are stupendous. Paired with an earthy, gooey Roasted Kale and Sharp Cheddar Quesadilla (recipe to come! just look at that crunchy cheese bit escaping the tort in the pic below…), you might even forget than you’re on the wagon. The Fatty McFatFat food wagon.

Curried Carrot Soup with Greek Yogurt & Toasted Walnuts
By Emily Stoffel
Cook time: 45 mins | Serves: 4-5

Note: This is one of those recipes that actually gives you an excuse to bust out the kitchen gadgets, if you’ve got them. Gadget #1: a food processor seriously speeds up shredding the carrots and onions, but if you don’t have one, a large box grater and some patience does the trick. Gadget #2: I like to retain just a little texture with this soup, in which case an immersion blender offers lots of control — and is terribly convenient since you, ta-da!, immerse it right in the pot. If using a standard blender, avoid steam/heat build-up in the carafe by keeping the lid ajar and covering the opening loosely with a kitchen towel.

Ingredients:

• 2 T olive oil, plus additional for serving
• 6 large carrots, shredded
• 1/2 large onion, shredded
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• 1 T curry powder
• 4 cups low sodium broth (chicken or veggie)
• 1/2 cup  reduced fat greek yogurt, plus additional for serving
• handful toasted walnuts for serving

Instructions

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over med-high flame and add onion. Saute until onion softens and begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, carrots and remaining ingredients except stock and sweat until carrots wilt substantially and develop good color, stirring occasionally. Depending on the the size of your pot and the heat of the flame, this could take 10-20 minutes. Don’t rush it; the color that develops now contributes wholly to the flavor later. When veggies are well browned (dare I say caramelized?), add stock and bring to boil. Reduce to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until veggies soften considerably. Remove from heat and carefully blend to desired consistency with immersion blender (or in small batches in standard blender). Return to heat and stir in Greek yogurt just before serving. Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with more yogurt (optional), good olive oil and walnuts.