Carrot Soup

serves 6

• 2 yellow onions, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 8-10 larger carrots, scrubbed and chopped into 2” rounds
• 2 strips of orange rind
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• chopped pistachios for garnish
• chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

• Drizzle some olive oil in a pot and add the onions and garlic with a generous pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat until the onion mixture softens.
• Add the carrots, orange rind, thyme and bay leaf. Then, add enough water to just barely cover the carrots. Simmer the soup over medium-low until the carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the soup with about 1/4 cup olive oil until it is velvety and smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.
• To serve: spoon the soup into a bowl and top with a spoonful of the pistachio pesto. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and parsley and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.