Carrot Ginger Soup

Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger (about a 2 inch piece of ginger)
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp course sea salt
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
4 tbsp orange juice
1-3/4 lb. carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup thick yogurt, preferably Greek
Ground black or white pepper, to taste
Juice from 1/2 medium lime
1/3 cup chives or green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

In a 4- to 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat. When hot, add the onions, leeks, celery, ginger, garlic, and a pinch of kosher salt. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the aromatics are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in 1 tsp salt. Add the carrots, vegetable broth, and orange juice, stir well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender and the soup is full-flavored, 7 to 20 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and let the soup cool for 5 minutes. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (fill the jar no more than half full and vent the lid, topping it with a folded kitchen towel to prevent hot splashes). Wipe the pan clean and put the soup back into the pan. Add the yogurt and lime juice. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings with more salt, pepper, or lime juice as needed. Ladle into 8 soup bowls and garnish each serving with 1 to 2 tsp. chopped chives.