Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

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Sometimes I just want to eat a color.

…Does that make sense?  Does that ever happen in your brain?

Usually I want to eat things that are green (kale), milky (coffee), made of booze, made of chocolate, or made of pie.

For some reason, yesterday I wanted something orange and spicy.

I made soup.  Because all I ever make is soup… then I put it in this wood bowl and take two pictures of it before I have to sit down on my couch and eat it.

That’s how it goes around here.  It just does.

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Carrots with their hair are so much more romantic that the stripped version.  Don’t you think?

The cute bagger boy at Whole Foods asked me if I was going to juice the greens when I got home.  I think he was trying to impress me.  I looked at him like he was from Mars.

I was also wearing my super fitted workout pants.  He tried to recover from the juicing comment by asking me how many miles I ran that morning.  I answered ‘zero’, which was totally true.  Awkward.  Asking a girl how many miles she ran is basically announcing that you’ve checked out her rear end and find it interesting enough to ask about.

I wasn’t doing anything to make him feel any better about checking out my butt and trying to impress me with his carrot juicing knowledge.  Poor thing… he was trying.

Anyway….

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Onions and garlic go in soup, because onions and garlic always go in soup.

Duh.

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An apple and ginger can totally go in soup too.  These two items can also go in spice cake… but we’re not here for cake.  Concentrate, will you!?

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Carrots, apple, and ginger cook down beautifully in this soup.  The carrots are slightly sweet and full of good-for-you-things.  The apple adds a necessary touch of sweetness (although it doesn’t taste distinctly apple-y in this soup), and the ginger is perfectly spicy.  It’s good for you.  It’s orange.  It’s really delicious with buttered bread… that goes for just about anything in life, though.

This whole mess is vegan too.  Minus the delicious buttered bread.  Silly.

Carrot Apple Ginger Soup

serves 4

guided by this recipe.

Print this Recipe!

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 small apple, peeled and sliced

4 to 5 cups sliced, peeled carrots (about 1 1/2 pounds)

4 cups vegetable broth

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic and cook for one minute, until fragrant.  Add sliced apples and diced carrots and cook for 3 minutes more.

Turn flame to medium-high and add vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce flame to low and simmer, uncovered,  until carrots and apples are softened, about 30 minutes.  Remove pan from the flame and let rest for 10 minutes.

Blend the soup in batches in a blender.  Be sure not to fill the blender more than halfway full or hot soup will explode everywhere.  Not cool.  Also, when blending hot liquids in a blender, leave the blender lid slightly ajar to let some of the steam escape.

Once all of the soup is blended, return to the pot.  You may decide that you want you soup a bit thinner in consistency.  Add more vegetable broth if you’d like.  Taste, and add a dash of fresh ground nutmeg, as well as salt and pepper to taste.  The soup won’t need much pepper, as ginger is pretty spicy.

Serve with a drizzle of quality olive oil, a sprinkling of fresh cracked pepper, and a few carrot top sprigs… cause you’re fancy, and whatnot.

Soup will last, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.  Soup also freezes well.  Thaw in the fridge before reheating.

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233 Responses

  1. This looks like a nice carrot soup recipe. I’m going Add the Apple too. I love that idea! I think I’ll give it a try. Love carrot soup.

    I’ve used Rice Dream for a non-dairy low salt option. I have two really fat carrots and some local ginger beckoning to be soup. Yum!

  2. This soup is my new favorite. I found it when I was searching Google for a non dairy based carrot and ginger soup recipe and now I make it every time I’m sick… like today :(

    Also, craving a colour makes perfect sense and is very normal. It’s basically your body telling you that it needs certain nutrients.

    1. This is one of my most favorite recipes. My kids love making “carrot stew”, and I feel good about them eating it too. Thank you!

  3. I really enjoy this soup! It was very easy to make. It is definitely spicy from the ginger, in a good way. I think next time I will try 4 cups of carrots instead of 5, and 2 cloves of garlic. Maybe 2 apples as well!

  4. I have a question on the Carrot, Apple, Ginger Soup……I know it is only 1 small apple….but Which apple should I buy??
    Have never made soups with apples, not familiar with the different tastes. It certaihnly sound yummy and am anxious to try it. Thanking you in advance…mema

  5. Cats woke me up too early. Found your recipe-had all ingredients-pot is simmering & will be ready to eat before my 7AM alarm goes off. Smells great. Thanks for getting my day off to a fine start.

  6. Love the recipe, although I embellished a bit with some orange zest too. MORE ORANGE! Yum! Your writing is wonderful too. I stumbled onto this blog because of a search for carrot ginger soup, but now I have been reading more of your writing. Wonderful! That poor Whole Foods bagger boy had no idea who he was dealing with.

  7. I love this recipe! I am a texture person though … so I add a bit of toasted sunflower seeds to the bowl and a little fresh chopped parsley.

  8. This is my favorite soup! I double the recipe tonight and put half carrots and half fresh pumpkin :-) hope it turns out as delicious as your original recipe!

  9. Hi, I made this recipe for a Thanksgiving appetizer yesterday. It was for about 10 people, so I doubled the ingredients. Very tasty. It was a hit! Thank you so much.

  10. I made this soup this morning, and it’s better than I thought it would be. In fact, it’s downright delicious. The fresh garlic gies it an added flavor that makes me want to eat the whole pot in one sitting.

  11. Decided to try thiscombination….can’t wait to taste it. I had delicious carrot soup one time in a resturant and they never had it again. Now I can make my own. Thank you for sharing..
    BTW it is absolutely delicious…. won’t have any left to save…AWESOME !!

  12. Hi joy, probably your biggest fan here, haha. I just made this and added shittake mushrooms fried in butter. Added some great umami and salty deliciousness. Keep it up, I’ll keep giving your cookbooks as gifts and proselytizing your amazing recipes to everyone with a stomach. Ps thanks for the gluten free friendly recipes.

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  14. Wow, Joy….you read my mind! I’ve been craving carrot soup for about a week and this will be amazing when I make it for my sweet husband tonight! Thanks so much!

  15. ok, this has nothing to do what so ever with Carrot soup (however I do plan on making that very soon!) – Joy – have you ever read -Junie B Jones? I am guessing no, since you have no kids yet and it is first grade level book. But seriously if you want someone to make you chuckle, grab her little book from a used book store and read one. There is a ton of different ones cause it is a litttle kids series. There is something about her that reminds me of you! The way you put things. You will think you have found yourself in a 5 yr fictious character. (Strange? Maybe, but still pretty funny!)
    ok, that’s all. Thanks for brightening my day, as usual!
    Adios…from the Dominican Republic!
    kirsten

  16. So, I’ve been reading Joy the Baker for years now, and somehow this is the first recipe I’ve tried? How? It must have been nerves …

    I’m challenging myself this season to cooking fifty of the recipes I’ve bookmarked/pinned, etc, and this is one of the first I tried. (Wrote it: https://foodanddo.lindsaybeeson.com/2011/10/08/day-18-of-101-chipping-away-at-my-fifty-recipes/)

    This was *delicious* and it’s gonna be in our regular rotation this season. Thank you!

  17. Greetings from the UK…..gorgeous soup, wonderful colour and soooo delicious and vital! I heated it up the next day and added a teaspoon of harissa paste

  18. I just made this soup and loved it! I added extra ginger for some more spice.

    I used store bought veggie broth and not sure I love the taste of it– do you have a good recipe to make your own vegetable broth?

    Thanks I love your blog!

  19. I found you today because of Love and Sugar post. . .brilliant, by the way. . . and scrolled through to find this post. . . it made me smile and think about being pregnant with my 6 yo daughter. . . . I kept finding my plate full of orange things, then I finally realized that I was craving orange foods. . . . I just wanted to eat the color orange!. . . . thanks for triggering the memory and a smile! :-)

  20. Yum! I will be having this soup for my lunch tomorrow! I must say I briefly read your recipe, saw carrots, apples and ginger and preeetty much just popped it all into the pot in various amounts and hoped for the best. If I’m lucky it’ll have picked up the delicious of the recipe haha.

    thanks joy :)

  21. Orange is my favourite colour to eat! I often make orange harvest soup. My recipe varies depending on my fridge’s content. Sometimes it’s all carrots, sometimes sweet potatos, sometimes butternut squash….but best of all is when I use all three! I also use this amazing chili garlic paste from the asian market, occasionally adding a can of coconut milk.
    mmm mmm goooooood

  22. Delicious, and incredibly tasty. However, I don’t know if we did something wrong, but it only made three mugs of soup. Then again, we might just have huge appetites. Thanks you for the great recipe anyway, we will definitively be making this again !

  23. Thanks for the recipe! Made this last week, adding a touch of curry powder. Very yummy. Your posts are always fun and pretty…and make me hungry.

  24. I made this for my birthday and everybody loved it. I cooked some lemongrass with the carrots and added some cilantro in the end. The colour was fantastic.

  25. Yum….love eating the color orange! :) Looks great Joy…I like that there’s an apple in there for good measure and yes….onions & garlic belong in soups! It was great meeting you this weekend! Take care and I look forward to reading more of your blog. I’ve been on a soup kick lately…so I think I’ll be making this soup soon!! Take care!

  26. I am hoping this tastes like a carrot soup I once had at a restaurant, and I have been looking for something similar ever since! It was one of the best soups I have ever tasted. Here’s hoping!…

  27. I posted this on my facebook a few days ago and received messages from people who said they absolutely loved it! I decided I better hurry up and make it so I’m actually credible. My blender broke so I used my food processor. It doesn’t seem to look as smooth as yours in the picture (maybe the food processor?) but none the less it is delish!

  28. This is a lovely soup! thank you for posting the recipe and inspiring me to do something with the carrots in my fridge! I added a dash of siracha and was delicious.

  29. I must say, as soon as I saw this blog and Oh! the recipe, my oh my! I was delighted! …Today we woke up with an awesome fresh/chilly day of 50 degrees (Texas weather peps, it;’s chilly for us!) which made for the perfect opportunity to make this delicious soup…it’s in the process right now but I hope it turns out as good as the pictures look! :)

    Cati

  30. Making this for dinner for my wife tonight with roasted chicken. Thanks for the wonderful ideas!!

  31. I just made the soup tonight! I tasted it after blending and thought it needed just a touch more flavor so I put in some ground ginger (the dried kind, from the spice rack) turns out that’s pretty potent stuff! So now mine is SUPER gingery, but still good. Next time I’ll just make sure to go a little lighter with the ground ginger :)

    I had a little left over Parmesan cheese I sprinkled on top, it was delicious!

  32. Dear Joy, I made your delicious soup. Although I was missing a crucial ingredient – a blender. So I improvised. It was delicious nonetheless. It reminded me of borsch. The beet-less variety. Either way, thank you for this.

  33. My friend made a version of carrot and ginger soup years ago and I loved it! I am so going to try this recipe….yum!

  34. just made this soup today (sans apple since i didn’t have any) and it was delicious. i love how sweet the carrots become.

  35. I made this soup for a group of my friends yesterday and everyone loved it! I just wanted to thank you for an easy/creative recipe that’s a total crowd pleaser!

  36. I made your soup yesterday and it didn’t last until today. My fussy son even said it was great!
    Thanks. Simple, wholesome, delicious.

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  38. Made it yesterday! very quick and very tasty. I love the different layers of flavour too. The ginger, the carrots and the apples. All goes together so nicely.

    Thank you!

  39. I’m going to use that line on… mmmmm, every woman I meet from now on, whether or not she A) is in a grocery store, or B) is in possession of “greens.”

    Me – “So, you gonna juice those greens when you get home?”

    Double Hot Girl – “What are you talking about weirdo.”

    Me – “JUICE!”

    I’ll let you know how it goes.

    By the way… those are the prettiest carrots I’ve ever seen and the soup looks heavenly.

  40. Wow! This photograph is composed beautifully. I love your bowl/plate and the soup looks amazing too. Perhaps I’m not very adventurous with soup but would never have considered making a carrot soup. This post, however, has me rethinking my chunky veggie soup obsession. Interesting…Thanks!

  41. I have to say, I love how clear your directions and pictures are for making this soup! It is so nicely organized and very easy to follow. The soup looks delicious too! Thanks for the great blog post!

  42. I crave cool and creamy things incessantly, which results in an insane yogurt habit (how does one eat 4 lbs of yogurt in a week and a half? how?). This soup looks uber-tasty, btw.

  43. I just wanted to say that I have fallen in love with you and your blog recently. I’ll be trying this recipe today and *maybe* I’ll share some…but we’ll have to see!

  44. I think I might have to make this for dinner. It looks perfect for this nasty cold day I’m having.

    And hey, kudos to the kid for trying? Sometimes it’s just nice to have your butt appreciated. =)

  45. I don’t know… I think the spice cake idea has some merit! But yeah, it’s still soup weather and that big bowl of orange looks so very gorgeous.

  46. The soup looks beautiful. It’s true that carrots with the stems on look and taste better. Just cooked some lentils and might turn into a carrot ginger and lentil soup. Thanks again for a great post. Love the pictures, the writing and the recipes.

  47. I’ve got to admit, the first thing that came to my mind was “I want that decorative plate!” Then came the “Oh, my veggie friends would Love this!”

    ps: If you happen to remember where you got the plate, I’d be super appreciative ;}

  48. Joy, I made this last night and my kids LOVED it. Who knew this was how I was going to get them to eat their veggies! Love all your soups, so healthy they balance out all those fantastic desserts you give us.
    Thank you!

  49. What a gorgeous color soup and beautiful picture! I could eat this for breakfast! I totally understand what you mean about color. Sometimes I just have to stare at beautiful produce! This soup sounds fantastic and healthy too! Thanks.

  50. Saw this, made it…loved it. Every last bit of it (there may have been a bit of bowl-licking happening). So good!

    As for Whole Foods, I’ve never had someone try to impress me at the counter. However, I’ve been known to put on the charm a bit when I see them offering free samples on Sunday afternoons. Works like a charm every time :)

  51. Um, Joy? did you notice you were nominated for Saveur’s 2011 Best Food Blog Awards in the Dessert/Breakfast category? and could you please announce it, so that everyone can go over and vote for you??! wohoo!!!

  52. This looks so good!! I get in the mood for certain colors too…particularily, yellow. Whenever I crave yellow, I crave heat and curry. Weird, but I guess I’m not the only one!

  53. Oh, that poor check out boy. You just ruined his day two or three times and he’s in that awful awkward teenage stage, isn’t he? All of that to say that this soup looks gorgeous!

  54. Girl, you need to get yourself an immersion blender! I made this tonight and it was delish. I topped it with a dollop of greek yogurt.

  55. Ok, so I made the Chicken pot pie last night and would you believe that ALL three of my boys ate it? Not just ate it, but by god, went back for seconds. Let me tell you: that is a better review than any Michelin writer could give you. I jokingly said to my husband as I put it in the oven, “pull out the peanut butter, you know none of them are going to eat this.” In our house it is the “three bite” rule. You must eat three bites of a new food, and if you truly think it is revolting, you may go fix yourself a pb and j sandwich. So, since they liked they pot pie so much (cream cheese, who would of thunk it?!?) by golly, I’m going to try the soup too. It looks delicious to me — let’s see if it passes muster with my finicky eaters.

  56. That soup looks yummy. Your food always looks like it could give you a color fix. I get my color fix every morning when I JUICE my colors….. carrots, oranges, apples, blueberries, strawberries and the remnants of the shot of wheat grass I have first. It’s a rainbow in my glass before I mix it all together. Then it’s this strange color of orange that I like to call “orange you glad you had a donut for breakfast?”

  57. I wish I had your camera. This looks delicious but I could never get my husband to eat a carrot… and I’m not too much of a soup eater. Drinker? Either way, the color is gorgeous (color enthusiast here….) but a no go in this household.

  58. In college I had a roommate who only seemed to cook foods that were orange or yellow. Yes, we ate a lot of squash and carrots. It was a VERY healthy year. I love the idea of your soup, but now I’m thinking about the spice cake… decisions decisions…. Oh… congrats on your obviously delectable tush… I’m old enough and amused enough to be honored if someone I didn’t know would check out mine. Also congrats on being named a finalist for Saveur’s Best of the Food Blogs 2011.

  59. made it. had it for lunch. didn’t add lemon like i thought i would but did put in a can of coconut milk to smooth it out and sprinkled on some garham masala. comforted.

  60. Typically when I start craving a color it’s kind of grape color that I end up with, if you know what I mean!

    Maybe I could put down my wineglass and make this sweet springy soup! It could happen!!!

  61. Thanks for the great burst of color! I am happy to see others enjoy soup even though the weather is warming up. I tend to make a pot of soup quite regularly year round. It is just a great go to comfort meal be it sub-zero or closing in on 90 degrees outside. Happy eating!

  62. Joy, this post cracked me up! I do the exact same thing with soup (and feel like sometimes it’s all I ever make!), and the bagger boy observations are too funny. Thanks :)

  63. I totally get the color thing. About 75% of the reason I at beets is because of the color. (That they’re delicious, too, is a bonus. :)

  64. I just stumbled onto your site, saw this post, actually had all the ingredients, and whipped this up for lunch. AMAZING!

  65. girl…i’m thinking this soup with your hot crossed buns (biscuits). maybe a bit of sweet potato and a squeeze of lemon in the soup to? i think it’s time to whip up some lunch!

  66. Can I tell you something? I hate, really hate, carrots. It’s the only food that I dislike so deeply… but carrot soup is always tempting to me. With apple? I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks!

  67. I need sunglasses to look at those carrots! How bright orange they are! I don’t think I’ve ever “craved” a color before…hmm I have to think about that. I’ve craved smoothiness, creaminess, saltyiness, sweetness, crunch and the list goes on, but color…

  68. Well, apparently you have a great tush. Nothing wrong with noticing just in the delivery.

    I love carrots. I should see if I have the ingredients when I get home. I cannot imagine not having everything, but you never know!

  69. I thought I was the only one who craves colors! My husband looks at me like I’m crazy when I say, I know what I want for dinner tonight – RED! Thanks for this delicious post. It looks warm and comforting, especially on a chilly autumn night.

  70. Oh, the poor bagger boy. He was trying so hard. But juicing greens, even at Whole Foods, is a bit much for a pick-up line. :) You’ve probably saved him, Joy, from ever doing that again.

    And then you shared this delicious-looking soup recipe with us. Thank you! Two good deeds before the day even officially started!

  71. MMMMMM….love it! Can’t wait to make it! I feel for the cute boy…..I am so impressed that you can eat all the beautiful food and desserts you make and then still look that great in super tight work out pants. *sigh* you are inspiring me to start working out again!
    Thanks for your great posts!

  72. That soup looks really tasty! I agree that the color of the food makes the difference. I live in Uruguay, which has a strong meat tradition. My favourite food is a red juicy roasted beef, and I particulary like the red color in food.
    Have you ever been to Uruguay? You should try our barbecues, they are unique! Let me share a video of Anthony Bourdain eating some “asado” during his trip to Uruguay. The end is really funny: https://bit.ly/gZju5
    Nice blog, congratulations!

  73. looks super yum. can’t wait to move this weekend and get all of my kitchen supplies outta storage. first thing i might make is soup, or something that requires an immersion blender or food processor.

  74. All of my soups are orange and they all have an unreasonable amount of ginger in them. These are usually my “I am gross and need to be less gross (healthy) so let’s boil some orange things” foods, but then I add one thousand spoonfuls of sour cream to my bowl because I am gross.

    Orange soup party!

  75. The last time a cute young guy flirted with me, I eventually married him. My husband is 15 years younger than me….and we’ve been together almost 20 years. Never underestimate those cute young guys, they sometimes have a lot to offer……! :)

  76. This post made me laugh out loud… to the point where my co-worker was staring at me with concern. I then proceeded to read her your ditty about the juice, pants, and rear. She in turn laughed out loud. Bonding moment at work. Your blog never fails to bring a smile to my face. Thanks for being you.

  77. I would love to know where I can purchase the black and turquoise floral dishes you display. SO cute!
    Thanks! And I love the colors too and the soup looks awesome and delicious. Will make for my son when he comes home this week :)

  78. I totally know what it feels like to want to eat color, especially when I haven’t been meeting my vegetable quota! This soup looks deeelish…do you think an immersion blender would work just as well as a standing blender?

  79. Yum! I have all the ingredients in the kitchen, so gonna try it today! Love it when I don’t have to go to the grocery store (although I might if the bag boy hit on ME!) I wonder what this would taste like cold?
    *love*

  80. So I’m the girl who lives in the deser in Africa. For whatever reason I found imported apples at the market this week so I can TOTALLY MAKE this soup. Thanks. You’re the bomb.

  81. I like creamy soups, especially when they are orange. My mother cooks delicious carrot one, that’s why I like them so much. Your one seems to be delicious, sweet carrot, apple, onion. Must be good.

  82. Can I just come over and have some of this soup? I don’t really have time to cook because I have exactly 3 weeks of school left in my college career and zero breathing room. :/ !!!

    One time when I was at Trader Joe’s I bought a bag of peanut butter filled pretzels (to put in my BF’s Easter basket) and a jar of salted caramel sauce. Boy at the register said, “That’s an interesting combo! Can’t say I’ve ever tried it… but I bet it’s good!”
    My response, “Huh? I’m not eating them together.”
    Boy, “Oh….”

  83. I pity the guy, but I loved your reply. Isn’t it flattering to know that someone checked out your bum;)

    The soup looks fabulous! I’d do anything to have this soup right now. I’ve been nursing a cold over the last few days, so this might be THE soup for me. Ginger and garlic have healing properties, and I like how ginger adds spice to things. I would never have thought of adding apple to carrot soup though. I’m sure it gives the soup an added touch of sweetness. I might make this soup tomorrow:)

  84. I loooooooove soup. I’m one of those weirdos who eats it all. summer. long. And is this an unintentional vegan soup? I love you.

    PS – great photos

  85. I wear my yoga pants out around town, doing errands and what not… it’s been a while since any boy from any line of employment has made mention – I feel a little sad about this… I blame the wedding bands and the baby I’m carrying.

    1. Made it! Yum. Added a little half and half bevause that’s how I roll. Also if you’ve not invested in an immersion blender these babies are well worth the $$ if you’re making smooth soups.

  86. I wish someone would blatantly check out my rear end and ask how many miles I ran this morning (3.3, actually! sorry…I’ve only been running for 3 months, so it’s still novel and exciting and I want to tell everyone I see about it). I wonder if this soup would work with sweet potatoes? I have a bit of a carrot allergy when they’re raw, which kind of puts me off them entirely, even when they’re cooked. Unless they’re in cake. I have exactly zero problems with a good carrot cake.

  87. I was just craving soup, i ended up eating horrifically salty stuff out of a can. I need to buy vegetables. I need to buy extra vegetables so I can make this!

  88. That soup looks delicious. But shame on you! Now I want spice cake!
    Also – I agree that carrots are much sexier with their greens on. You should tell that to Mr. Check-you-out-while-you-check-out. :)

  89. Hey Joy, love the soup – looks yummy. Ah that guy sounds so sweet – and I bet you walked out with a little smile on your face, knowing he was checking you out! Compliment high!

  90. …Damn. No cake. :o\ *giggle*

    …I do have to say that this soup does sound yummy. Different, but yummy. :o)

    …You shoulda told the guy you ran 30 miles that morning that way if he’s checkin’ out your butt he can at least kno’ you’ve got buns of steel. *giggle* ;o)

    …Blessings…

  91. That looks super tasty and scrummy Joy, as always!

    I once had a boy say similar-

    ‘you been to the gym this morning then?’ As I was wearing suitably sporty items. The only reason I was wearing them is because they were damn comfortable, I hadn’t done any washing since forever and it was either lycra shorts or my dressing gown!

    Enjoy the soup,
    Katescakesandbakes

  92. Can’t fault the boy for trying ;) Plus, he probably figured out you were going to make this kickass soup and wanted you to invite him over. hehe

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