Saguette’s Carrot Soup

By Marilyn Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Sometimes a book inspires a meal.

One of our boys’ favorites, Monsieur Saguette and his Baguette, tells the story of a young Frenchman who makes a delicious pot of hot carrot soup only to find he has no bread in the house. He sets off to a boulangerie to buy a baguette and on his way home meets with many challenges that his baguette triumphantly pulls him through.

I’ll bet we have read this book aloud as a family at least a hundred times. It’s a rare read because both boys enjoy it and have for years. Saguette uses his baguette for crazy things on his walk home, like propping open the mouth of an alligator, using it as an extension of his arm to save a kitten from a tree and as a ladder for getting out of a giant hole he fell into.

A great book can inspire a meal and also a world of imagination. So in the spirit of Saguette, the boys will pretend they have magic powers and I realize they’re using tonight’s baguette as a wand or a walkie-talkie or a saxophone.

Carrot soup is the perfect choice for children. It’s creamy, sweet and colorful. Use young carrots and fresh ginger for a bright, light soup that’s always in season. The cream adds a little richness but isn’t absolutely necessary. From start to finish, this homemade soup takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, and your kids can peel and chop the carrots.

Carrot Soup with Ginger

1 tablespoon butter
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger root, grated
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken broth
A pinch of sugar, if necessary
1/4 cup heavy cream, if desired

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly caramelized, about 8 minutes.

Add the carrots, ginger and cinnamon, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and cook the carrots over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, about 5 minutes longer.

Purée the soup in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Check the seasoning, adding sugar if the carrots aren’t sweet enough. Add the cream, if desired, and adjust the salt. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and serve immediately.

Caution: Be careful when puréeing hot soup. Blend in batches and cover lid tightly to avoid hot soup splashing out.

Makes 4 servings

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