Rainy Day at the Pergamon and Carrot Ginger Soup Recipe

I always dread rain more than any other type of weather. There's just something about rain that makes me tired and unmotivated to get out of bed. Not to mention taking photos when you want natural lighting is one frustrating task.

There are many fun activities that I find are reserved for those days. Going to the movies, taking a sports class, walking around the mall, and of course, a good ole museum visit. I LOVE museums but I rarely go to them in Berlin. Maybe it's knowing that I have to shell out full admission now that I'm not a student. Or perhaps finding a partner in crime on a weekday afternoon is just difficult. Luckily my friend Marinka from Finland was in town so we decided to head to the Pergamon to gaze at ancient artifacts.



The rug collection was so pretty! I love textile everything!





After leaving the museum, Marinka wanted to do a headstand so I caught one of her warming up between columns.



Finally, my remedy for rainy day sadness is always soup! If you're going to roll around on your bed like a panda, you might as well be waiting on soup to cook! This is my fail-safe recipe because it is so stinkin' easy and good for you.



Carrot Ginger Soup
Serves 4

4 big carrots washed, peeled, and cut into 1 cm rounds
2 medium sized (or 4 small) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium sized onion, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 cups of water (enough to cover vegetables when cooking) 3 tbsp non-dairy creamer (optional)
parsley for garnish (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Place a soup pot* on the stove over high heat. Once heated, put in oil, garlic, and onions and toss until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, potatoes, and ginger and toss for an extra minute. Pour the water into the pot and wiggle the vegetables around until everything is immersed in water. Cover the pot and let the water come to a boil before reducing the soup down to low heat. Let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
Pierce a fork into the carrots and potatoes to make sure they are tender. Take an immersion blender and puree to liking (I prefer mind a bit chunky). At this point, you can add the creamer and mix it in with a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or parsley flakes. Serve with noodles if desired.

*The soup pot should be big enough to hold all vegetables and the water needed but not too wide that the water spreads out and is not enough to cover the vegetables.