This soup is awesome for early summer as the weather is warming up, and you start thinking that making something hot for dinner is just not the thing to do. The fresh ginger gives it a bit of a kick that makes it very refreshing. It’s also very quick to make. The hardest part is waiting for the carrots to cook long enough that they’re not crunchy anymore. The recipe comes from A Good Day for Soup, by Jeannette Ferrary (Chronicle Books).

Ingredients

4 large carrots – sliced and cooked until tender
1 cup ripe apricots – diced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger – minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of cayenne (optional)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups stock (chicken, vegetable, water)
fresh cilantro – chopped, as a garnish

Directions
Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor.
Puree.
Cover and chill.
Serve sprinkled with cilantro.

Other Information
Serves: 4 to 6

Apricots are in season in early summer. If you cannot find a good price on them, or are craving this soup out of season, it is possible to make the soup with dried apricots. Just soak the dried fruit (6-8 of them) in about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of water overnight. You can include the leftover water in the quantity of stock required for the recipe.