Carrot Apple Ginger Soup with Spinach Gruyere Toast

Given the whole viral colitis incident, I've been feeling very picky about what I eat. While I was sick, all I wanted was carbs: bread, pasta, pretzels, and that was about it. Now that I'm feeling better, it's time for fruit and veggies to come back. One of the blogs I subscribe to had a link to this soup. It's apparently good for stomach upset. I do know it was tasty.

Notes: This meal is not only healthy and delicious, it's cheap! If you just made plain toast, you could probably get out of the grocery store under $10. That's budget-friendly!

I got a new toy: an immersion blender! I have been wanting one for a long time because I love creamy blended soups. Hopefully it will become a cornerstone of my kitchen. You'll need some sort of blender for this recipe.

You could easily double this recipe if you needed to feed a crowd. This easily yields 4 servings. 

Ingredients:
For soup:
1 lb of carrots
4-5 apples
1 piece of fresh ginger (approx. 2 inches)
2 cups of water
Salt
Butter or olive oil for sauteing 

For toasts:
2 slices of sourdough bread
3/4 cup baby spinach leaves
1/2 - 3/4 cup of grated Gruyere cheese

Directions:

Dice your carrots and apples and mince the ginger. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium-high. Add the apples, carrots, and ginger and saute until just tender. Season with salt. Add the water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.

Right before the soup is done, heat the oven to 350. Place two slices of bread on a baking sheet. Put spinach leaves on top of the bread and top with grated cheese. Bake for 5-7 minutes.

While the toast is baking, blend the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Serve and enjoy!