Carrot soup ...

Carrots are popular, inexpensive and are available all year round and what's more they can be made into a cheerfully bright and creamy soup.

You can easily add your own gourmet touches with herbs, cheese and even orange to enhance its flavour.

2 cloves garlic
2 large onions
50g butter
500g carrots
2 tsp sugar
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4-1/2 cup milk or cream

Chop the onion and garlic finely

Cook in the butter without browning

Add the chopped carrot, sugar and stock and simmer until the carrots are tender then puree

Whisk in the milk/cream and adjust the seasonings with salt and/or pepper

Variations:

Add fresh thyme as the carrots are cooking

Add the grated rind and juice of an orange when you add the milk or cream

Even try replacing the milk/cream with 1/2-1 cup cheese sauce

This is a lovely soup on a wintery day

Enjoy!