Lightly spiced carrot soup

A satisfying soup which is delicately spiced

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion ,chopped finely
1 garlic clove, chopped
knob of fresh root ginger, grated
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 tsp mild curry powder, plus extra
1 kg carrots, trimmed and sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, bashed
2 strips orange zest
400g can coconut milk
700ml vegetable stock

METHOD
1. Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Tip in the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli, then cook for 3-5 min until soft. Stir in the curry powder, followed by carrots, lemongrass and zest, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes more.
2. Give the coconut milk a shake, then pour most of it in the pan with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 minutes until the carrots are really soft. Remove the lemongrass nad the orange zest, then use a stick blender or food processor to wizz until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of the reserved coconut milk and an extra sprinkle of curry powder if you like