Divine Carrot Velvet

I've talked in the past about the advantages of giving one's dishes appropriately flattering names. With that in mind, I present Divine Carrot Velvet Soup!

I was inspired, perhaps oddly, by this post (and the ingredients on hand in my kitchen). I started, approximately, with this recipe, but then went my own way:

6 T butter
1 large onion (or two small ones)
3 cloves of garlic
As much ginger as you can find (~1/4 cup)
~7 big carrots
1 potato
4 cups water
4 T McKay's chicken seasoning
1 can coconut milk
Splash of Plain Silk

Melt the butter and sautee the onion (chopped), garlic (smashed), and ginger (grated) at low heat for a long time. I talked on the phone while preparing first the onion and then the garlic, which slowed me considerably, and then was just generally slow at peeling and grating the ginger. That ended up being perfect--the onion was nice and soft, I didn't brown the garlic, and the ginger was still snappy.

Throw in the water and seasoning and crank the heat to high. Start peeling the carrots, chopping them into thin little rounds, and adding them to the pot. Peel the potato, cube it rather finely, and throw it in, too. Continue to cook at high heat until most of the water is gone and the carrots are falling-apart tender--about 20-25 minutes. Add the coconut milk, and blend with Awesome Immersion Blender. Thin with soy milk to desired taste and thickness.

The soup is warmly spicy, pleasantly filling, and, seriously, velvety. I've never made anything quite like it. It's fluffier and lighter than my pumpkin curry soup, and not as gritty as potato. With a pan of hot cornbread, it's also the perfect antidote to biking home from school in a snowstorm.