Creamy Carrot & Kohlrabi Soup

I am thrilled to report that I survived two days of back-to-back Bikram yoga. It feels so good to attempt a new workout routine after four straight months of crossfit. I definitely miss the camaraderie at the box, but I felt like I needed to give my body a break and switch it up a bit in the midst of all of my travels. I think Bikram yoga is as mentally challenging as it is physically. All of the yoga, meditation, and breathing classes at Canyon Ranch really seemed to have helped with my focus during class, and it has been a great experience so far. 

I am almost done with the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle which tells the story of a family who commits to a 100% locavore lifestyle for a full year. It has given me so many ideas, and I am dying to have my own garden one day. In the meantime, I will be supporting all of the local farmers markets. I tried out the Cambridge Winter Market for the first time yesterday and loved it. The farmers were all so friendly, and even though I got there on the later end, there was still a great selection. I was talking to one of the farmers and she convinced me to try kohlrabi (aka German turnip). She said that she eats them raw, roasted, pureed, and in any recipe that needs a little extra flavor. I tasted a bite of the raw vegetable, and it tastes like a mix between cabbage, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts but with the texture of a radish or almost a water chestnut. I decided to make soup with these along with the multi-colored carrots, onion, and garlic. The soup turned out great, and you could add some curry or other spices if you want a little more flare. 

Creamy Carrot & Kohlrabi Soup Serves 6-8, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 50 min

Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 large sweet onion
- 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 large purple kohlrabi bulbs, peeled & chopped
- 3 small green kohlrabi bulbs, peeled & chopped
- 3 orange carrots, peeled & chopped
- 3 golden yellow carrots, peeled & chopped
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 qt. vegetable stock
- 1 can light coconut milk (I used Trader Joes)

Instructions:
1. Heat coconut oil over medium heat
2. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 5-10 minutes until lightly golden brown
3. Add kohlrabi, carrots, and spices and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently
4. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil
5. Cover pot and reduce heat to a simmer for 30 minutes
6. Remove pot from heat and blend with an immersion blender
7. Mix in the coconut milk, and serve!