Creamy Coconut Carrot Soup

I've shared a carrot soup recipe here before.  This one is so much better.  

Carrot soup with chopped cashews.

So.  Much.  Better.  Orders of magnitude better.  Out of this world better.  

Carrot soup and corn fritters.

The reason is simple--coconut milk.  

Ah, the miracle that is coconut milk.  It is like culinary gold.  A not-so-secret ingredient.  It adds a light, creamy, luxurious element to any meal.  It gives every dish just a hint of a wonderful melt-in-your-mouth quality.  It steps up the decadence of even a simple offering such as carrot soup.

Carrot soup served with slices of aged nut cheese and black beans.

We're still plugging away at the 2016 carrots which grew prolifically and overwintered well.  In doing so we've eaten a good many pots this soup.  It is easy, beautiful, and satisfying.  It isn't water or thin.  And it doesn't taste like health food.  Those are two obstacles that carrot soup usually has to overcome, in my opinion.  
Even with our "old" and increasingly woody carrots it is still amazingly delicious.

Wild and local morel mushrooms, brown rice, carrot soup, and chopped cashews.

Creamy Coconut Carrot Soup
1 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, diced
1 T fresh ginger, grated or minced
1 large onion, diced
1.5 pounds carrots, chopped
2 t yellow curry paste
1/2 t ground cumin
1/4 t crushed red pepper
4 C vegetable stock
1/2 C white wine (or 1/4 C white wine vinegar)
1/4 C honey
16 ounces coconut milk 
1 t salt
ground black pepper, to taste

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
Saute the onion and carrots for 7-10 minutes until the onions start to turn translucent.  
Add the garlic and ginger and cook saute for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the curry paste, cumin, crushed red pepper, stock, wine.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the honey, coconut milk, salt, and pepper.
Puree the soup until smooth.
Serve as is or topped with chopped nuts, cilantro, black beans, cheese, etc.

Wild and local morel mushrooms, brown rice, carrot soup, and black beans.

I actually tossed the recipe card for that other carrot soup right in the recycling bin.  I'll never make it again now that I've perfected this one.