Dylan came up with the name, orange hat soup.  i like that.  this is a soup that can wear many different hats.  its simple to make and has a smooth warming earthy flavor.  you'll want a nice thick piece of fresh ginger for the tea/broth (which begins just like our ginger-lemon brew) and some lovely looking carrots.  around here the carrots sweeten as they weather through rain, snow and frost over at the farm, making them a winter highlight.  peeling is up to you, though its worthy to note that older carrots can develop a slight bitter flavor which is relinquished in the peel.

As for the hat:  add a spoonful of miso to each bowl for a cold-busting ginger-carrot miso soup, top with a dollop of curry spiced yogurt (1 Tbl curry powder whipped in 1 cup yogurt) for an east indian flair, sweeten it up w/ a can coconut milk and a little red curry paste for heat, or drizzle with our new favorite, toasted pumpkin seed cilantro sauce.  however you choose to top it, this soup is a pleasure.

2 cups chopped yellow onions
3 packed cups chopped & peeled carrots
coconut oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
4" chunk of ginger, peeled grated
cold filtered water

Begin by making a strong ginger tea.  add the grated ginger (about 1/4 of a cup) and 8 cups cold filtered water to another pot.  bring just to a boil and remove from heat.  cover with a lid and steep 10-15 minutes.   strain set the brewed ginger tea aside.

Meanwhile, add 2 Tbl coconut oil to a large stock pot and heat over a medium flame.  add the onions and saute for about 5 minutes, till the onions soften and sweat, stirring every minute or so.  add the carrots and sea salt and continue to saute for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  add 4 cups of hot ginger tea to the carrots and onions, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.  continue to simmer until carrots soften. 

At this point you'll want to puree the soup either with an immersion blender or a counter top version.  be mindful that the liquid is very hot.  if using a vitamix or other blender, let it cool slightly and only fill 3/4 of the way, placing the lid on with room for the steam to escape.  begin by turning on to the lowest speed and GO SLOW to avoid blasting the top off your blender and burning yourself/making a huge mess.  once the soup is creamy, return to the pot and add the 2-4 more cups of the second batch of strained ginger tea to thin it out to your desired consistency.