Recipe of the Month: Not Your Average Carrot Soup

This is one of Chef Nadia's recipes. It's not your usual carrot soup because it doesn't have any ginger, but it does have apples and beer! Enjoy.

Peel one and a half pounds of carrots, and cut into wedges. Toss with 3 TBL olive oil.

Roast at 425 degrees until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Peel and chop 1 fuji or gala apple. Slice 2 stalks celery. Dice 1/2 yellow onion or 2 small shallots.

Saute the apple, celery and onion in 2 TBL olive oil in a medium sized pot on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until very nicely caramelized. Sprinkle in 2-4 TBL ground cumin and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add carrots and deglaze pan with 3/4 bottle of dark beer and keep cooking until beer is half reduced. Turn off and let come to room temperature.

Blend with 1-2 qts veggie or beef stock (tastes WAY better with beef stock) until creamy to desired thickness. Add 1/2 cup cream if you like (optional). Add salt and pepper to taste. Can be frozen up to 1 month. We like it served with a dollop of sour cream. You can also substitute squash or pumpkin for the carrots.