Spicy Carrot-Ginger Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until onion and garlic have softened, about 10 minutes. Don’t let the mixture brown.

2. Step 2

   Add carrots, jalapeño and sliced ginger, and stir to coat. Add a little more salt. Turn heat to high, add 6 cups broth and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until carrots are completely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature, if possible.

3. Step 3

   While soup cools, make the ginger-chive cream: Combine the crème fraîche, grated ginger and chives with a pinch of salt in a small bowl.

4. Step 4

   When cool, transfer the soup to a blender (in batches, if necessary) and purée. Taste and adjust salt, and add as much additional broth as necessary to achieve the consistency of heavy cream; the soup should not be thick.

5. Step 5

   To serve, reheat soup over low heat. Check for seasoning and adjust. Roughly chop leaves and tender stems of cilantro, leaving aside a few sprigs for garnish. Stir lime juice and zest and 1 cup chopped cilantro into the soup. There should be little green flecks throughout the soup (cooling the soup first keeps cilantro fresher tasting). Ladle into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of the ginger-chive cream and a few stems of cilantro.