This weekend I cleaned up my garden, uprooting tired purple-hull pea bushes, cutting back leggy okra and pulling out some old root vegetables. I was able to scrounge up a handful of gnarly carrots. They looked horrendous, but had a surprisingly good taste. I decided that a spiced carrot soup with crusty bread would be a perfect dinner for a cool fall evening.

Carrots provided the inspiration, but they were lacking in quantity. So I peeled and chopped those carrots into 1-inch pieces and did the same with 2 lbs. from the store. I also chopped a large onion, 3 garlic cloves and finely shredded about a tablespoon of ginger root. I added all to a medium-hot pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Ginger provided some spice, but I didn’t stop there. I added two bay leaves, a dash of ground coriander and 2 teaspoons each of red curry powder and ground turmeric. That kicked up the spice level.

I stirred in 6 cups of chicken stock (vegetable stock would work as well) and let the pot simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then after testing the carrots to make sure they’re done, turn off the heat. Let the soup sit and cool about 20 minutes before processing. It’s also a good time to remove the bay leaves – they don’t blend well and can be bitter if left in the soup.

I used an immersion blender and the soup didn’t need to cool much. If a food processor is to be used, let the soup cool more. Scary hot liquid flying around in a food processor or blender is not a good thing. The soup can always be reheated if it has cooled too much.

Once the soup is silky smooth, add about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as necessary. The soup is yummy served with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream, crumbled bacon bits and fresh chopped cilantro or parsley. I added a hunk of crusty bread to the meal. The ginger gave the soup a hint of heat and the other spices rounded out with warm autumnal tones. That’s comfort food to me.