A warming soup with the cheering color of carrots and the zesty flavor of citrus.

Serves: 8 to 10

• 2 pounds carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons fragrant nut oil or olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 large celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated fresh or jarred ginger, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup rice milk, or as needed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons finely minced scallion

Reserve and set aside about 1/2 pound of the carrots.

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onions and celery and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden.

Add the carrots (except for the reserved batch), along with 4 cups of water, the juice, wine, and spices. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer in batches to the container of a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Or, simply insert an immersion blender into the soup pot and process until smoothly pureed.

Return to low heat and stir in enough rice milk to give the soup a medium-thick consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the soup stand off the heat for several hours before serving.

Just before serving, steam the reserved carrots until tender-crisp. Stir into the soup along with the parsley and scallion. Taste to correct consistency and seasonings before serving.

• Explore other recipes for hearty winter soups. ^[1]
• Here are more recipes for making the most of carrots ^[2].
• Return to A Colorful Vegan Christmas (Vegetarians Welcome!) ^[3] for a complete listing of holiday dinner recipes, menus, and desserts.