carrots roasting over an enclosed oven flame

have i mentioned how much i love fall? i think i may have, multiple times. the kind of cool, crisp evenings where i want to invite a friend over for dinner, make a cocktail(s) and then sit on the couch and talk till midnight. where i know it's not yet 28 degrees outside, and i could go out if i wanted to, but i'd much rather cozy up with a bowl of soup i just discovered the recipe for and have it be delicious and then make a mental note to make that soup all the time through the cold season.

roasted carrot coconut soup
from la dolce vegan by sarah kramer

5-6 large carrots, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 stick fresh lemongrass (tough outer layers removed), chopped (use bottom 6 inches only)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (see recipe below)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

preheat oven to 400f. in a medium baking dish combine carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, garam masala, coriander and oil until well coated. bake 35-40 minutes or until carrots are tender. just before veggies are done, in a medium soup pot bring stock to a boil. reduce head and add the roasted veggies. simmer for 2-3 minutes. add the coconut milk and blend with an immersion blender until smooth (you can also just blend half the soup and leave the other half chunky for a chunkier soup rather than a smooth soup). stir in lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and gently reheat. makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

garam masala
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

in a dry frying pan over medium-high head, shake the cumin and coriander seeds continually for 3 or 4 minutes until seeds start to pop and brown. remove from head and let cool. place in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle with peppercorns, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg and grind until smooth. makes about 1/4 cup.

love,
lauren