Serves 8

Ingredients:
Soup:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
2 Tablespoons cup white rice
5 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium Swanson’s broth
3 Tablespoons cup creamy peanut butter
Juice of 1 lime
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Pesto:
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, unsalted
1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Methods/Steps:
Soup: In a large pot, melt butter with oil over medium-low heat.  Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, carrots, rice and broth.  Bring to a simmer and cook until carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir in peanut butter.

Puree soup: Fill a blender half full with the soup mixture.  Working in batches, puree until smooth, 3 minutes a batch. Cover the blender with a towel as it can spit.  Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a pot, using a ladle to help push the soup through.  Discard remaining solids.  Add lime juice, and salt. Reheat soup over low heat. 

Make Pesto: Using a food processor, blend cilantro, peanuts and jalapeño to a paste.  Add lime juice, olive oil and kosher salt and mix well.
 
Additional Tips:
Serve: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls and serve with salsa on top.  Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve.
Recipe created by Parties That Cook® www.PartiesThatCook.com