Carrot, Honey, and Ginger Soup

Carrot, Honey and Ginger Soup
from Hors D'Oeuvres by Erick Treuille & Victoria Blashford-Snell

(ingredients for 1/2 batch)
1 TBSP butter
3 cups carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 1/2 celery sticks, chopped
1/2 garlic clove, chopped
2 in piece fresh ginger, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP heavy cream
chopped chives for garnish

Melt butter in pan over low heat. Add carrots, onions, celery, garlic, and ginger with a pinch of salt. Continue cooking covered, until very soft, about 20 minutes. Add stock and increase heat to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots cooked through, 15 minutes. Cool slightly, then place in blender; pulse to a smooth puree. Place a fine-mesh strainer over the rinsed-out pan and press the puree through. Discard remainder left behind. Add 2 TBSP water to the puree at a time to adjust the soup's thickness to the consistency of light cream. Heat soup through over medium heat. Add honey, cream, salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Sprinkle with chives to garnish.

Notes: The book this comes from calls for it to be served in demi-tasse cups (the ingredients above would make about 10 servings in that amount) and have a light cream consistency. I opted for something a little more substantive as I was serving it as a first course. Also, since ginger can come in various sizes, I had estimated a generous tablespoon to be an appropriate amount, but in retrospect should have increased it by at least half as much again. Still, it had a lovely texture and a refreshing taste (which was oddly not very carrot-y in the end).