Several weeks ago I asked for special chicken soup recipes. I got a few, plus I got this email from Meghan, at A Bolder Table, with a recipe… not for chicken soup, but for another soup that sounded too delicious to pass up. When I went shopping the other day, I bought everything I need to make the soup. Think I’ll be doing it tomorrow. Can’t wait! Make sure you stop by Meghan’s blog, A Bolder Table, look around, and make sure to say "hi". But be warned… I’ve got a list a foot long of her recipes I want to try. Thanks a bunch, Meghan!

I have a food blog , but I’m mostly vegetarian, so I don’t have a chicken soup recipe. But, your talk of family tradition and grandma’s soup makes me think of my Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup.

I make it all the time, and the secret ingredient is from my spouse’s grandmother. She is Indonesian and lives in a small village on Java. She gave us a few kilos of her own grown and hand made powdered ginger. I perfected my simple recipe with her ginger, and now it is all used. The next time I make this soup I will have to use store-bought ginger. We’ll see if it is just as good.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Ingredients:
peeled, chopped sweet potatoes (2 pounds? How much soup are you making? There is no definitive measurement here, so 4 large sweet potatoes might be a good place to start.)
peeled, chopped carrots (again, no measurement. 1/2 pound, maybe.)
1 large yellow or sweet onion, sliced
1 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider
water
2 TB (or more) powdered ginger (please feel free to use fresh ginger if you have it available)

Preheat oven to 375. In a large Pyrex baking dish, combine the yams, carrots, onion, veggie broth, and olive oil. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the yams and carrots. Remove from oven and let cool for 15-30 minutes.

Next, add the roasted ingredients to a blender. Add the apple cider and a few cups of water. Puree until smooth. If you have a smaller blender, you might need to break this down into two separate batches. When it is all smooth, transfer to a soup or stock pot and simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes. Add more water to reach your desired consitency, as well as the ginger. Stir the soup somewhat frequently, and don’t leave it uncovered and walk away. If it is too hot, it will jump out of the pot and make a mess. Be warned! Enjoy.