carrot, ginger & fennel soup

Hello friends,

It's been awhile since I (Beth) have blogged... summer happened and already it is mid-October! 'Tis the season of root veggies... yum! Now that it is truly fall here in Ohio and the leaves are displaying lovely shades of reds, oranges, yellows, and browns, homemade soup has become one of my favorite meals. A bowlful of flavorful, filling soup can be the perfect thing on a chilly, windy day!

We bought some organic fennel, baby ginger root, scallions, and carrots at the Worthington Farmer's Market last Saturday, and today I turned them into a yummy soup!

This gluten-free, vegan soup in particular packs in a nutritional punch with potassium and Vitamin C-filled fennel, Vitamin A and beta-carotene packed carrot, and anti-inflammatory ginger! The coconut oil used to create the base also provides a variety of benefits, including boosting your immunity and strengthening your heart.

Ingredients:
*always buy local and organic if you can!

3-4 carrots
1 fennel
1 small bunch of scallions or green onions
1 inch x 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
1/3 cup of coconut oil
2-4 cups of filtered water
sea salt and garlic powder, to taste

Steps:

1. Wash scallions and then slice thinly. Heat up coconut oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat, adding scallions and salt to taste. Stir constantly until they are tender and not crunchy.

2. Wash carrots and fennel, and then slice carrots into small round coins. Dice fennel.

3. After scallions are tender, add filtered water, carrots, fennel, ginger, garlic powder, and sea salt to taste (as a general guide, I use 1 tsp sea salt per quart of veggies or water).

4. Bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

5. You may add Earth Balance for a buttery flavor... but coconut oil is great and healthier!

6. ¡Buen provecho! :) I think it would go well with sourdough bread, a salad, quinoa, or as a main dish!