Get Well Soon Soup

I've been sick since Christmas eve. It starts with a fever, followed by extreme throat clearing, followed by an awesome sinus infection. I'm on day 5 of a Z-pak and I'm about 95%, save for the upset stomach it gives me. However, even without any sneezing or coughing, it appears I've managed to pass it to at least 3 people so far.

Whenever I get very sick, I make a certain carrot-ginger soup. It's the kind of soup that makes you feel better no matter what's wrong. It works so well (I have friends who will testify to this), that you hesitate to vary the recipe one bit, for fear you'll delete the magic ingredient. My husband is just starting to experience the adventurous journey of the illness I've passed him, so last night I made him a new version of this soup. It was our dinner, so I added a potato to make it a little more hearty this time. I also served it with peppered toasts from a leftover sourdough loaf. I'm not sure it's as powerful as a Z-pak, but hopefully it eases the symptoms!

Get Well Soon Soup
2 T Unsalted Butter (*use Earth Balance or Olive Oil for vegan*)
1 medium Yellow or Spanish Onion
2 cloves Garlic
1 T Ginger
1lb Carrots
1 large Russet Potato
2 small/medium Tomatoes
4 C Water
2 tsp+ Kosher Salt
20 grinds+ black Pepper
Juice of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Lemon

Roughly chop all the vegetables, as everything will be blended in the end. Start with the onions and continue to prep after starting to cook them (in order of the list above).Sauté the onions 3-5 minutes in butter in a stock pot. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two before adding ginger for another 1-2 minutes. Add water, and then carrots, potatoes and tomatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
Transfer to blender and puree in batches until smooth.

Zest the lemon (or rub it through a micro-plane) over a container or measuring cup, just scraping the yellow part and avoiding the white pith. Juice the lemon into the container, removing any seeds that drop in. Stir the juice and zest into the soup, taste, and season with salt & pepper as needed.

Pepper Toast
3/8" thick slices of bread from a loaf or baguette (I used sourdough)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper (fresh ground)

Lay bread slices on a cookie sheet, drizzle lightly with oil. Sprinkle sparingly with salt and as many grinds of black pepper as desired. Place under broiler (about 4 minutes - check constantly) until golden-brown. Great for dipping in soup or with butter.