This soup really made me wonder if it makes it into the top 10 for when it comes to soup. Can such a humble assortment of simple ingredients be worthy of being in the top 10? And I think it might just be.
What’s interesting about this soup is that it taste so full-bodied, so warm all around, like a soft blanket on a cold day and so overall pleasant. One thing it doesn’t seem to have is surprisingly the distinct taste of carrots! Which is very interesting!
I remember looking at my kitchen counter, demotivated by so many uneventful carrots. How will I turn it into something? And as intimidating as it was, after just a few minutes of prep and half an hour of simmering, this soup blew us away with its complexity. What a success!
Carrot Soup
Ingredients
3 TBSP olive oil, divided
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp coriander
3 garlic cloves, grated
2 inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
5 cups vegetable (or chicken stock)
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 lbs carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp – 5 tsp Sambal Oelek (depending on your spice tolerance)
1-4 tsp maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon
- For the garnish:
1/4 cup nuts, I used pistachios in this case
rind of 1 lemon
2 tsp herbs, I used rosemary
Directions
- Heat 2 TBSP olive over medium heat in a soup pot. Add chopped onion and cook stirring from time to time for about 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add coriander and toast it for the last minute of cooking onion. Add garlic and ginger and cook it for only about 30 seconds until fragrant, do not burn. Add chicken stock, carrots and Sambal Oelek and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that stock is already salty – so do not oversalt. Reduce to simmer and simmer for about 20-30 minutes until the carrots are very tender. I cook this soup uncovered, but if you chopped your carrots too large, it may need to be covered for a bit or cooked longer.
- Stir in some maple syrup, 1 TBSP olive oil and lemon juice. Transfer the soup to a blender (likely in two batches) and process until very smooth. Pass through a fine mesh sieve. At this point taste and see if you need to adjust flavour (more maple syrup, Sambal Oelek, salt or pepper) or consistency (if the soup is too thick for your liking, add more water or stock.)
- Divide between bowls and serve garnished with lemon zest, herbs and nuts (nuts are so very important for the texture!) Enjoy!
