Lightly Spiced Carrot Soup Recipes

CREAMY ROASTED CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
• To prepare your carrots, peel them and then cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about ½″ thick at the widest part (see photos).
• Place the carrots on the baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated in oil and seasonings. Arrange them in a single layer.
• Roast the carrots until they're caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork, 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway. (Heirloom carrot varieties will roast in as little as 25 minutes, but regular carrots are more dense and typically require 35 to 40 minutes.)
• Once the carrots are almost done roasting, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, coriander and cumin (if following a variation, see recipe notes for additions). Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.
• Add the roasted carrots to the pot when they are out of the oven. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
• Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!)
• Add the butter, lemon juice (or lime, if following the Thai variation), and several twists of black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary, to taste. Add another tablespoon of butter if you'd like more richness, or a little more lemon juice if it needs more zing. Blend again, and serve.
• This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.

LIGHTLY SPICED CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan with a lid. Tip in the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, then cook for 3-5 mins until soft. Stir in the curry powder, followed by the carrots, lemongrass and zest, then cover and cook over a low heat for 10 mins more.
• Give the coconut milk can a shake, then pour most of it into the pan along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 15 mins until the carrots are really soft. Remove the lemongrass and orange zest, then use a stick blender or food processor to whizz until smooth. Ladle into bowls and top with a swirl of reserved coconut milk and an extra sprinkling of curry powder, if you like.

SPICED CARROT & LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry 2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.
• Scoop out about half with a spoon and set aside. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 600g coarsely grated carrots, 140g split red lentils, 1l hot vegetable stock and 125ml milk to the pan and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened.
• Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
• Season to taste and finish with a dollop of plain yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads.

SPICED CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium low heat in heavy Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic, stir, add salt, pepper, sugar, cumin and coriander, and cook slowly 1015 minutes until onions are translucent. Add carrots, rice, bay leaf and stock or water and cook 30 minutes, or until rice is puffed up and carrots can be crushed against side of pot with wooden spoon. Pass through food mill into clean pot. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Bring back to a simmer, then serve garnished with crispy shallots.
• Heat oil to 360 degrees. Separate the shallot slices into rings and place in medium bowl. Sprinkle flour over and toss lightly to coat evenly. Working with a small handful at a time, sprinkle shallots over oil and stir gently. Fry until golden brown, 13 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat with remaining shallots, salting while still warm. Use as garnish for Spiced Carrot Soup.