CARROT, GINGER AND CHILLI SOUP

Serves 2
WHAT YOU NEED

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 x small onion- peeled and diced
• 4 x carrots- peeled and diced
• 2 cm piece of root ginger- peeled and grated
• 1 x chilli- de-seeded and chopped finely
• 250 ml hot stock

1. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions for 5 minutes, moving them with a spoon so they don't brown.
2. Add everything else to the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. 
3. Place everything in a blender and blitz till smooth. If it’s too thick at this point and not smoothing up in the blender just adds a little more hot water or stock. Season in the blender with salt and pepper and taste. I find it easier to do this whilst in the blender so between additions of salt and pepper you give the blender a blast and it gets mixed perfectly before you taste again. 
4. Return to the pan and heat till bubbling. Serve and enjoy.

I also love this soup for its ease of ingredients. I always shy away from soups that have an ingredient list as long as my arm! I always have the ingredients on hand and just so you know, I always use stock powder made up with water. I would love to have the time and inclination to make my own stock but I barely have time to pair my socks let alone boil things for hours on end.
So after you have shoveled your snow get a big, hot bowl of this on the go. You won’t be disappointed.