National Homemade Soup Day - February 4th; Chefs Gina & Pat Neely

Gina & Pat Neely
You may know these celebrity chefs from the Food Network, but they are also the owners of Neely's Barbecue Parlor in Manhattan. (Their Tennessee locations seem to have been closed permanently/indefinitely.) They have authored the cookbooks Down Home with the Neelys, The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook, and Back Home with the Neelys. The Neelys have also partnered with Kraft Foods in their Huddle to Fight Hunger campaign.

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Today is Homemade Soup Day, and for those of us living in the frozen north, it sure hits the spot! Here's my recipe for Carrot Soup:

Creamy Carrot Soup with Almonds
Ingredients:
2 1/2 C. sliced carrots

2 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. sliced almonds

2 Tbsp. butter

2 C. skim milk

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. almond extract

Directions: Steam carrots until tender. Puree carrots in a blender or food processor with 1 C. broth and the almond slices. Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add flour, stirring until bubbly. Add the milk, sugar, and ginger. Cook until thickened and bubbling, stirring constantly. Put carrot puree in the pot with the remaining broth. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Add additional milk for consistency you like. Season additional ginger to taste. Serve in warmed soup bowls, and garnish with almond slices.

Comments: “This soup is really delicately flavored. As an accompaniment to a meal, it’s delicious. As the main course, it’s a little bland. This is similar to a soup we had at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.”

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