I'm barely a week into summer break over here and I already seem to have lost track of what day it is. Is it still the weekend? Almost the weekend again? Where am I? What am I doing? One of the only things that's managing to keep me somewhat grounded, is cooking. For the past few weeks, I've been getting loads and loads of carrots in my local box of produce. I've been trying to use them up as quickly as I could, but... the bag of them only continued to expand.

I've got to be honest, raw carrots are definitely not one of my favorite vegetables. So, thinking of a way to use up over 2 pounds of carrots was a rather daunting task for me. Especially considering that I wanted to be sure to use them all up before any went bad. Waste not, want not.

I realize that carrot soup might sound, hm, boring on it's own. So, that's why I decided to pair it with a perfectly tempting basil herb oil that definitely steals the show here. The carrot soup here is crazy simple and easy to make. It's a dump-n-go slow cooker soup that couldn't be anymore hands off. Just set it and forget it.

The herb oil is just as easy. Whip it together and let it set for a while at room temperature. This soup has some amazing flavors to it. Especially for being vegan and gluten free! Trust me when I say that it's hearty enough to fill you up and light enough to not weigh you down. Being a cheese fanatic, I did try to think of a way to get some cheese in there, but at the end of the day, I'm happy with my decision to keep it out.

Although it may seem ridiculously simple, it's absolutely a meal in a bowl. It's the perfect way to use up a plethora of carrots, and the fact that it's meatless keeps this soup as budget friendly as could be.

What's better is that this soup makes for a good freezer soup and/or reheats just as nicely for leftovers.

Crockpot Carrot Soup with Basil Herb Oil
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 6 • Size: About 1 1/2 Cup • Calories: 241.9 • Fat: 19 g • Saturated Fat: 2.7 • Carb: 17.9 g • Fiber: 4.8 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Sugar: 6.4 g • Sodium: 179.6 mg

Ingredients:
Carrot Soup:
2 Onions, Chopped
2 Lbs. Carrots, Peeled & Cut
1 Golden Potato, Peeled & Quartered
1/2 C. Celery, Sliced
16 Oz. Unsalted Vegetable Stock
2 C. Water
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Basil Herb Oil:
3/4 C. Fresh Basil Leaves
3/4 C. Fresh Parsley Leaves
1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Place the 3/4 C. Fresh Basil Leaves, 3/4 C. Fresh Parsley Leaves, 1/2 C. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
and Salt & Pepper to Taste into a blender or food processor.

Set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to blend.

In the base of a slow cooker, add the 2 Onions, 2 Lbs. Carrots, 1 Golden Potato, 1/2 C. Celery, 16 Oz. Unsalted Vegetable Stock, and 2 C. Water.

Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Once tender and cooked through, blend the soup using an immersion blender, traditional blender (with the steam cap removed), or food processor.

Season with Salt & Pepper to Taste.

Divide the soup evenly among bowls and top with a drizzle of the basil herb oil.

Enjoy right away!