Directions

1. Peel and dice the onions. Clean, trim and dice the celery. Peel and dice the half of the carrots. Peel and chop the remaining carrots into large ¾ inch chunks. Reserve these larger chopped carrots for later.
2. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions, celery and smaller diced carrots. DO NOT ADD THE LARGER CHUNK CARROTS. Add the ground coriander, ground cumin and whole thyme leaves. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Peel and chop the garlic and add to the vegetables, stir and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste and stir into the vegetables then add the water or vegetable stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the Fire Roasted Tomatoes and larger chunks of carrots and return to a simmer and cook until the carrots are just soft. At this point you can remove the bay leaves from the pot.