Driving on rainy days is never a picnic. But today we got stuck in epic traffic thanks to a tree that fell on the highway during the storm, blocking all three lanes. Luckily no one was hurt. After 50 minutes of not moving, my husband said he had to go to the bathroom, my eldest daughter said she was hungry, and my son was awakened from his nap by my screaming, overtired toddler who missed her nap today. Big fun.

We have guests coming for dinner in two hours and we are still miles from home. I had planned to make roast chicken with Ras el Hanout, sweet potato chips, roasted cauliflower and salad with grapefruit vinaigrette. My husband just turned to me and said "babe, you really should put the chicken in the oven now." Ha. Ha. Ha.

Its times like these that I'm glad for frozen soup. I can quickly defrost it and serve it to take the hunger edge off while waiting for other food to cook. I made this recipe for Carrot Soup with Coconut and Cilantro last week and froze it. I had the photos on my phone with the intention of posting the recipe at some point soon. Guess that time is now.

Carrot Soup with Coconut and Cilantro

ingredients

2 tablespoons of coconut oil

2 tablespoons of grapeseed or vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped

2 pounds of carrots, peeled and cut into pieces

8 oz fingerling potatoes

7 cups vegetable stock or water

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk (optional)

In a large pot on medium high heat, add the oils and onions. Sauté until translucent, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes and stir. Add the stock or water, bring to a boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper and continue to cook until vegetables are soft. Add the parsley, lemon juice and coconut milk (if using) and purée with a stick blender. Garnish with cilantro.

Note: a dash of cayenne is delicious in this soup.