Carrot & Coriander Soup

This recipe is from my friend, Allison, who made this soup for me when I visited her a few months ago.

Serves 4

1 tsp. canola oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced in large chunks
1 large onion, sliced in wide rings
1 tsp. ground coriander
32 oz. vegetable or chicken broth*

Saute the carrots, onion, and coriander in the oil about 5 minutes. Add the broth, cover, and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender. Blend in the pot with an immersion blender, or pour into a blender. Blend until totally smooth. If you removed it to a blender, pour it back into the pot and keep warm. Serve warm.

Allison served this with fancy grilled cheese sandwiches - Raclete on ciabatta and Drunken Goat on ciabatta - and both were fantastic.

*Making your own vegetable broth is super easy. I made 2 quarts, so I used 2 1/4 quarts water, one bay leaf, 1 tbsp. peppercorns, 2 carrots in big chunks, 2 onions in large wedges, 3 stalks celery in big pieces, and about 1 tsp. of finely diced candied ginger (optional). I also added in the innermost papery skin of the onions, because I read somewhere that the pigment in the onion skin will add a nice color to the broth. It worked! I covered it, brought it all to a boil, and then simmered it for about 45 minutes. I added 1 tsp. salt at the very end. Add salt to taste. Then I strained it through a fine mesh strainer into a big bowl, let it cool, then portioned into 2 1-quart containers.