As our lockdown in South Africa continues, I find myself on the internet searching all things about food. Did you know that today is International Carrot day? Perfect timing for sharing this recipe it seems- also because it’s an absolutely freezing cold day at home so soup recipes are being well received.

Carrots are a really good source of Beta Carotene, Fiber, Potassium and Antioxidants. So at a time where we should all be boosting our immune systems, let’s make carrot soup!

Here’s what goes in:

1kg carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

500g butternut cubes

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2L vegetable stock

A handful of fresh herbs, including things like parsley, chives, origanum and thyme

Or a good pinch of dried herbs

Salt to season, depending on how salty your stock is

A bit of fresh cream for the topping

How to do it:

Place all of the vegetables, herbs and seasoning into a large, deep pot, and then pour over the vegetable stock, ensuring that the vegetables are immersed in liquid. Put the lid on and allow to simmer until the vegetables are very tender. Keep checking the liquid levels and don’t let the soup evaporate – add more stock if needed. Set this aside to cool. Pour the entire mixture into a food processor and pulse until the soup is smooth and free of lumps. (You will probably have to do this a few times as this recipe makes a big batch of soup). Return the soup to the pot and stir additional stock through, if you’d like it to be thinner. Otherwise just stir a bit of cream through, as you heat the soup for serving. The result should be a thick, velvety soup that you can serve with delicious bread or perhaps topped with a few croutons.