carrot ginger soup

my wisdom teeth came out yesterday and i have since been putting my blender through its paces, meaning smoothies, purées, applesauce, and soup. (garlic and spinach soup recipe coming in the near future.)
this one is bright, simple, and equally delicious hot or cold. the original recipe suggests an optional pinch of curry powder, which i left out because i wanted to keep the flavors very light and clean, so instead i stirred in a big pinch of lemon zest towards the end (juice would work nicely as well, i just wanted to keep this on the lower acidity end for mouth sensitivity reasons). other than that, i kept it free of garnishes, letting the soup speak for itself.

note that 1/3 a cup of ginger is fairly strong--i thought it was perfect, but feel free to scale back a little if you want soup with a little less bite.
simple carrot ginger soup
adapted from whipped
makes about 7-8 servings

• 3 tbsps olive oil
• 
1 yellow onion, chopped

• 1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped ginger root
*
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 
1 1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

• pinch curry powder (optional)
• salt & ground pepper

• zest of one small lemon
  
• optional garnishes: plain yogurt or sour cream, chives or parsley

*if your ginger is very fibrous and difficult to chop, use a grater.

heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. add onion, ginger and garlic; sautée for 5-10 minutes. add the stock and carrots. heat to boiling. reduce heat and simmer uncovered over medium heat until the carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes. stir in lemon zest.

purée the soup with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. season with curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. this soup may be served immediately, keeps in the refrigerator for at least 3 days and freezes well.