16 ounce bag of frozen carrots (or use fresh carrots, if you’d prefer)
4 cups of reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons of minced dried onions
1 tablespoon of dried minced chives (plus additional to top the soup, if you’d like, and
yes, use fresh chives if you have them!)
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of fat-free Greek yogurt (plus additional to top the soup, if you like)
1 cup of mandarin oranges (drained if from a can)
1/2 -1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger (use less for less zing, more for more heat)
In a large saucepan over high heat, bring the carrots, chicken broth, minced dried onions, chives, orange juice, orange zest, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, and salt to a boil. Stir the mixture, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the carrots cook until they’re mushy. This may take 45-60 minutes. Remove the carrots from the heat and mash them into the broth mixture using a potato masher. The mashing process will take some time, and you’ll need to use some arm muscle, but it’s quite therapeutic. Alternatively, put the carrot mixture into a blender and whir it until it’s smooth. Put the soup back on the burner to rewarm it if necessary. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Greek yogurt. Stir in the mandarin orange pieces and the grated fresh ginger. Serve the soup topped with additional Greek yogurt and/or additional chives, if you like.
