Creamy Carrot and Potato Soup

This soup is a great cozy meal for a cold night. You can enjoy it with a fresh slice of bread or with a grilled cheese on the side.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion

• 1 cup chopped celery, plus leaves for serving

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ½ teaspoon ground pepper

• 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

• 3 cups sliced carrots

• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 medium), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

• 1 large Honeycrisp apple, chopped

• 1 fresh bay leaf

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup half-and-half, plus 8 teaspoons, divided

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.

2. Add broth, carrots, potatoes, apple and bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the carrots and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

3. Working in batches, if necessary, pour the soup into a blender. Secure the lid on the blender, remove the center piece to allow steam to escape and place a clean towel over the opening. Process until smooth, 45 seconds to 1 minute. (Alternatively, puree soup in the pot with an immersion blender until smooth. Use caution when blending hot liquids)

4. Return the soup to the pot and stir in lemon juice and 1/2 cup half-and-half.

5. Top each serving with celery leaves, if desired, and drizzle each with 1 teaspoon half-and-half.

Recipe adapted from: https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/7879774/creamy-potato-carrot-soup/