eclaire (what’s in a) name?

i’ve been fighting a cold this weekend. unfortunately, this isn’t a new occurrence – since i started working in a medical clinic, i feel like i’ve been fighting off colds every other week.

but so far (knock on wood), i have successfully fought off every cold without it ever becoming a full-blown illness. how? well, i have perfected a combination of rest, vitamin c, fluids, and soup (and a ridiculous amount of tv. don’t ask me how much because i won’t tell you. that’s between me and my tv remote.).

this time around, i decided to search for a new soup, because i was bored with my regular repertoire. i wanted a soup that was both spicy and hearty. something that would clear my sinuses and also fill me up. and a recipe that would double easily, so we could eat it for lunch throughout the week.

luckily, i stumbled across this recipe. it’s the perfect combination of spicy and hearty, with brown rice that thickens over time and makes the leftovers even better than the first round. i’m feeling tremendously better tonight than i did on friday. was it all the rest? or this soup? or maybe the ridiculous amount of tv that i’ve been watching? it’s hard to parse out the direct correlation…but just in case, i think you should all probably make this soup asap. just in case you may have been exposed to a cold.

oh, and i bet you’re wondering what we’re eating this week?

• this recipe for curry carrot garbanzo soup (obviously)
• orange tofu with bok choy and soba noodles
• weeknight tacos
• butternut squash and sage risotto (for valentine’s day – we love cooking a special meal at home instead of going out)

one year ago: kale stuffed mushrooms
two years ago: winter quiche
three years ago: chana masala
four years ago: kitchari

curry carrot garbanzo soup

yields approx 4 servings
borrowed from daily garnish

• 1T olive oil
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 x 15oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 x 15oz can of light coconut milk
• 1 x 15oz can of garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1c almond milk
• 2T curry powder
• 1t ground ginger
• 1t salt, plus more to taste
• 1½c brown rice, cooked
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1. pour the olive oil into a large pot over medium heat
2. add the carrots and onion and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently
3. add the tomatoes, coconut milk, garbanzo beans, almond milk, curry powder, ginger, and salt, stirring to combine
4. add the cooked brown rice (i cooked about 1/2c of dry brown rice in a rice cooker with 1c water)
5. allow to simmer for 30 minutes (the original recipe called for it to simmer for 60 minutes, but we were hungry!), stirring frequently, and enjoy!