Carrot Ginger Soup

It's been a couple of weeks of influenza/colds/conjunctivitis around here. I think we're at the tail end of it all. On Friday night I felt like cooking something and what I craved was this carrot soup, laced with healing ginger and garlic. Easy, filling, and oh, so comforting.

Carrot Ginger Soup

1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (or whole)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh ginger (use more or less to taste)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5-8 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1 zucchini, washed and roughly chopped
1 quart chicken stock (preferably home made)
salt and pepper to taste
a swirl of cream, optional

In a medium-large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the garlic and ginger. Saute for a further minute or two.

Add the carrots, zucchini and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Cool slightly and puree with an immersion blender. Season to taste. A couple of tablespoons of cream will smooth out the flavors and add richness. I usually add cream, but this time I didn't have any on hand and the soup is fine without it.