SPICED CARROT AND ORANGE SOUP - INDIAN

A warming soup with the cheering color of carrots and the zesty
flavor of citrus

Ingredients:

* 2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
* 2 tablespoons fragrant nut oil or canola oil
* 2 cups chopped onions
* 2 large celery stalks, diced
* 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
* 1/4 cup dry white wine
* 1 teaspoon each: ground cumin, coriander, ginger
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 cup low-fat milk or soymilk, or as needed
* salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
* 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
* 3 tablespoons finely minced scallion

Reserve and set aside about 1/2 pound of the carrots.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and
celery and saute over moderate heat, stirring frequently,
until golden. Add the carrots (except for the reserved
batch), along with 4 cups of water, the juice, wine, and
spices. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over
moderate heat until the vegetables are quite tender, about
30 minutes. Transfer in batches to the container of a food
processor or blender and pure until quite smooth.

Return to a low heat and stir in enough milk or soymilk to
give the soup a medium-thick consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the soup stand
off the heat for several hours before serving. Just before
serving, steam the reserved carrots until crisp-tender and
stir into the soup along with the parsley and scallion.
Taste to correct consistency and seasonings before
serving. Serves 8 to 10.