Roasty Toasty Carrot Soup

Although I know how good carrots are for me, I have to admit I don’t love them on their own. But I do love this soup—it is rich and creamy with the right amount of flavor. This is a great autumn meal or a warm-me-up winter snack.

Ingredients:

•     1 cup vegetable stock
•     ½ cup quinoa
•     2 tablespoon olive oil
•     8 large carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
•     1 cup sweet onion, chopped into 1-inch pieces
•     ¼ cup celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
•     1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     ¼ teaspoon rock salt
•     1 cup vegetable stock
•     ¼ cup hemp seeds
•     ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a small pot, add vegetable stock, quinoa, and rock salt. Cover and place on high heat.  Once it comes to a boil, turn to low heat and let it cook covered for 20 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let sit 5-10 minutes covered.
4. While quinoa is cooking, in a small roasting pan, smear oil on the bottom of the pan and then toss together carrots, onion, celery, and cinnamon. Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes until veggies are tender with a fork.
5. Place roasted vegetables, cooked quinoa, 1 cup stock, hemp, and pepper in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more stock if it needs to be thinned. Reheat and serve.
6. Serves 4.