Moroccan Carrot Soup

I really like soup. But I stopped buying it canned some time ago and feel a twinge of regret every time I order it at a restaurant or cafe. You see, they manage to pack it full of so much sodium that it ceases to be a guilt-less pleasure and more often leaves me unsatisfied and thirsty. So I consider it a real feat when I create a pot of delicious, low-sodium soup on my own. Soup should be tasty, but it should also be comforting, nutritious, and hydrating. This one accomplishes all of the above.

To prevent over-loading your homemade soup with sodium, make your own stock. (It's healthier, more flavorful [because it's made from real chicken], and easier than you'd think. And it can be made ahead of time and frozen for months!) Or at the very least buy low-sodium broth. (There's no reason to ever buy full-sodium broth for anything. You can always add more salt to taste but you'd need a laboratory to extract all the sodium and other chemicals they pack into processed broths.)

This soup was far from salty. It was smooth and creamy. Lightly scented with cumin and allspice. Barely sweet from the carrots and honey. Enjoy it warm with an dollop of plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkling of toasted cumin seeds. And some crusty bread (or in our case, grilled cheese) alongside. A word on the cumin seeds. Bon Appetit suggested toasting and grinding your own cumin for superior flavor. The cumin seeds I had were too tiny and slipped through the bottom of my cheap spice mill. So I used already ground cumin in the soup and saved the seeds for on top. But if you have a functioning spice mill, by all means, grind your own. It will taste (and smell) wonderful.

Moroccan Carrot Soup

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp. butter
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. large carrots, peeled and chopped
2 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. freshly ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt + extra for serving
cumin seeds, lightly toasted (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until tender. Mix in garlic and carrots and saute for another minute. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.

2. Remove soup from heat. Cool slightly before pureeing in batches in food processor or blender until smooth. Return to same pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in honey, lemon juice, ground cumin, allspice, and yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Ladle soup into bowls. Dollop with yogurt, sprinkle with cumin seeds, and serve.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Bon Appetit)