Carrot Apple Soup

I made this last week - it was soooo good. Perfect for the cold day. Since it was just me and the boys (Aaron's working nights) I halved the recipe and still had a little leftover for lunch. I didn't have any celery, but it would have been great with it. I also used and immersion blender, and a few carrots didn't get pureed, oops. David didn't want to eat it at first, but then I asked him to just try it, and he loved it. It reminded him of split pea soup.

Carrot Apple Soup

• 1 tablespoon reduced fat margarine
• 8 medium carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 medium tart apples, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 celery rib, thinly sliced
• 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf

In a large saucepan, melt the margarine. Add carrots, apples, onion and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, sage, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove bay leaf. Cool soup for 5 minutes. Puree one-third at a time in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan; cover and cook over medium until heated through.