Roasted Carrot & Orange Soup

Makes 4 serves /  Takes 40 minutes / Gluten-free | Dairy-free | Vegan

Roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness, but even better - it makes this a one-tray soup! Simple, healthy and delicious. Avoid blending the cooked orange slices as the pith makes this soup too bitter, but feel free to play around to get your preferred balance. A knob of ginger is a great flavoursome addition and also helps fight colds in winter, too!

Carrot and Orange soup Photo: supplied

Ingredients

• 500g carrots, cut into wedges
• 2 onions, peeled and cut into wedges
• 1 head garlic, top cut off
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 oranges
• 2 cups vegetable stock

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Line a roasting tray with baking paper and add the carrots, onions, garlic, fennel seeds and cumin seeds. Drizzle with olive oil, and gently toss to coat. Slice one of the oranges into rounds and place on top of the carrots. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until the carrots are soft and lightly browned.

Zest and juice the remaining orange. Discard the cooked orange slices and squeeze out the cooked garlic, discarding the skins. Add orange zest and juice to a blender along with the garlic, the carrots and all of their juices. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add half of the vegetable stock and blend, adding more stock as necessary, until you have a smooth soup. Taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.

Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper.

Tip: Add coconut cream or natural yoghurt before serving to make this soup smooth and creamy.