Roasted carrot and ginger soup topped with carrot top pistachio pesto

Cold winter evenings need warm satisfying soups! Its even more satisfying when the vegetables are home grown and freshly dug out of the earth! 

Yes I know they are short and stout instead of tall and slender but delicious nonetheless and I am grateful to mother nature :) 

Farm to table at its best!! Being that they are home grown I didn't to waste any part of it.

• 3 cups roasted carrots, chopped I roasted them after sprinkling dried basil and 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 + 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Half and half optional (I didn't add it)

1. Make a batch of garlic and herb roasted carrots. set aside.
2. Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until soft and tender. Stir in ginger and cook for another minute. Add roasted carrots and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Puree soup in a high speed blender. Pour soup back into pot and stir in the cream if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to serving bowls and top with carrot top pistachio pesto. 

Carrot top pistachio pesto

Carrot tops from about 6 of the carrots washed well (Blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water and dunk in cold water to shock them, this will preserve the beautiful green color)

1/2 cup deshelled pistachios

Process with 3 cloves of garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tbsp of nutritional yeast 

Drizzle a 1/4 cup of olive oil while processing. Try not to make it very fine. The texture is amazing especially with the soup!

Enjoy!!