When life hands you carrots, make carrot soup
Dan Bolyard/courtesy photo Carrots can be worked into a variety of flavorful, warming soups.
I received a large quantity of carrots recently. Two large boxes were brimming with leafy green tops with splashes of bright orange peeking through. What should I do with a few of them?
Creamy vegetable soups are a good way to use up winter vegetables. You can cook up pumpkin, squash, parsnips, and carrots. The vegetable gets cooked down to a reasonable softness with the other ingredients, then you pass the soup through a blender, food processor, or an immersion blender to a point where it is nice and smooth.
Sometimes a soup is missing just a bit of something to help the flavor pop. A bit of acid is good choice with carrots. Lemon juice works well, but even lime juice works, as long as you don’t add too much. Adding a dollop of sour cream per bowl also does the trick. Keep in mind that adding a juice or sour cream will dilute the seasonings you might have built up in the pot. Maybe adding a sprinkle of brown sugar is needed, to add a bit of background sweetness.
With carrots, I’d steer away from the warm fall spices of nutmeg, cloves, allspice, or cinnamon. Too much of them would cover the carrot flavor, making your guests think you’ve made a pureed squash soup.
GINGERED CARROT SOUP
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
4 tablespoons finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
3 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons sour cream
1 small carrot, peeled, grated
Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; sauté 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Adjust seasonings. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls. Top each with sour cream and grated carrot.
HERBED CARROT SOUP
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
4 cups chicken stock
2 pounds carrots, chopped
1 medium potato, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
In a large pot over medium heat, place the butter. When it is melted and hot, add the onions and salt. Sauté for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and herbs. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the stock, carrots and potato. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the carrots are tender. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Adjust seasonings. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Ladle into bowls.
THAI CARROT SOUP
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds chopped carrots
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp chili teriyaki sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon, or so, brown sugar
Fresh basil, for garnish
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Place in oil. Add onion, garlic and carrots. Sauté for 10 minutes, stirring, or until the onion just starts to brown. Pour in stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the carrots are tender. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Stir in peanut butter and teriyaki. Adjust seasonings. Serve with a garnish of fresh basil.
CURRIED CARROT SOUP
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 pounds chopped carrots
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste
1 cup sour cream
Fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
In a large pot, heat butter over medium high heat. Add onions and carrots. Sauté for 10 minutes. Pour in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cover. Cook until the carrots are tender. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to pot. Stir in curry and pepper. Adjust seasonings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives.
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