Roasted Carrot and Apple Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots, scrubbed (about 4-5 large)
• 1 medium-large onion, chopped
• 2 medium-large apples (we used pink lady), washed, chopped, unpeeled
• olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter, divided
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
• crema mexicana, for garnish (you can also use creme fraiche)

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil.

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, onion, apples, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them in an even layer on the baking sheet. 

Roast for 30 minutes, turning once halfway. 

Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a soup pot and put all the spices in it (garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper). Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. 

Add the roasted vegetables and the stock. Stir to combine, then turn the heat off. 

Use an immersion blender on everything until it's smooth. Return to heat and cook until it simmers.

While this is happening, make the paprika brown butter, viz. heat butter over medium/low heat until it starts to simmer and smell interesting. THIS DOES NOT TAKE LONG. DON'T BURN THE BUTTER unless you want to make a beurre noir. But don't. 

Remove from heat and add paprika. Stir while it's still hot. 

Serve soup garnished with the brown butter sauce and crema mexicana. We also served it with goat cheese crostini, which was boss.

Thoughts: Well, this was a fine soup. Flavor was pretty legit, but it was a little thick. I might try to thin the soup out a little if I were to make this in the future. Not sure I will though, because it's not a 1, and why re-make anything that isn't a 1? Dan really liked it -- he thinks it's better than the other carrot soups we've done. I guess I believe him. He also says he wouldn't thin it out, so.....? 

Disaster Index: 1/10 (Dan), 2/10 (Claire)