Carrot Ginger Soup

The original recipe came from Boma Restaurant at WDW, this is an African Dish that they serve on certain days and definitely one of my favorites when we get to eat there. Hearty and thick, can be a meal with some crusty bread.......very flavorful and not too spicy. I have included the ingredients as I make them.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 5 cups

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup cornstarch
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 2  cups carrots, unpeeled, chunky cut
• 2  cups water
• 1⁄8-1⁄4 cup sugar, adjust as needed
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 2  cups half-and-half
• 1  cup cheddar cheese, shredded
•  salt and pepper
•  fresh chives, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In pot, mix together water, sugar and ground ginger until sugar dissolves. Add carrots and simmer until carrots are soft.
2. Cool sightly, and then process in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return to pot. (I have tried using my immersion blender, but it doesn't seem to work as well as a food processor due to the texture of the carrots!).
3. At this point, you can freeze this to finish later. If you want to make several batches at once, it freezes well. If you are making this from a frozen base, thaw the carrot puree and put in pot.
4. Add half and half. Cook until soup is hot and slightly thick. In the meantime, make a slurry of the cornstarch and water.
5. Bring to a boil, add cornstarch slurry, a little at a time while stirring constantly until the soup is the desired consistency.
6. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir well until cheese melts.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, garnish with chives and ENJOY!