Heavenly Soup:

I got this recipe from my sister Renee.  We often eat it every St. Patrick's Day, because she doubles the cilantro in it and it's a delightful green.  It's a wonderful soup, especially if you are...like me...trying to include more meatless meals in your diet.  You don't miss meat in this soup at ALL.

It's also amazing with that Italian herb bread from allrecipes.com that I have on this blog...

"Carrot and Corriander (Cilantro) Soup

2 medium onions
6 large carrots
3 large potatoes (the kind you buy individually - baking potatoes)
1 bunch fresh cilantro (I used 2...more on that later)
8 cups chicken broth, made from soup base
2 cups heavy cream (I omit)
1/2 c. butter
salt and pepper

Peel vegetables. In a food processor, shred the heck out of the carrots, potatoes and onions (they looked pretty pulverized when I was done). 

Melt the butter in a large saute pan, and saute the vegetables for 15 minutes, covered. Add a little salt & pepper.

Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large stock pot, add chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low for 20 minutes, covered, until vegetables are tender. Chop the cilantro (again, I ran it through the food processor) and add. Puree the soup in a blender in batches. Return to the stock pot, stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

When my friend made it, it was a nice orangey color. But I decided I wanted a stronger cilantro flavor, so I used two bunches instead of one. The result was great in the taste department, but it was kind of green looking - a little like split pea soup. Maybe not as aesthetically pleasaing, but it was really like something you'd get as a first course in a fancy restaurant - SO good!"