Spicy Carrot Soup

May 8, 2014 | Recipes for Success

A little spice adds a nice punch to the sweetness of carrots.

I always used to think that making soup was an impossible feat for me. Once I got my blender, that changed.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 carrots per serving, roughly chopped
  • one clove of garlic per carrot
  • cooking oil (sesame, safflower, or olive)
  • dash cayenne (be mindful of how much spice works for you)
  • 1 tablespoon of whole peppercorn
  • sea salt
  • optional currants for garnish and a dash of sweetness

Serves 4-6

METHOD:

Here we used roasted carrots but you can boil the carrots instead; the taste is different but still delicious.  For a spring time soup it works really well to just boil the carrots lightly or even using them raw.

For roasted carrot soup:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees if you’re using sesame or safflower oil, or 350 degrees if you’re using olive oil.

Roast chopped carrots and garlic together. Mix in some cooking oil to start, and then add a little water to the bottom of the pan as you go along. I use sesame or safflower oil because they go to a higher heat. I never use canola oil. (Check back in soon for an article about cooking oil.) The carrots will take 1 hour in the oven at 425 degrees, or slightly longer if you’re using olive oil at 350 degrees.

Add the roasted carrots and garlic with the whole peppercorn to a blender with just enough water to blend. Add the cayenne and sea salt to taste.

You can use just water or you can use vegetable stock or white miso mixed with a little water—the more water you use, the lighter the soup will be, so consider the texture you want. You can always add more.

For more complex spice and sweetness, add currants either while blending or just before serving.

For boiled or raw carrot soup:

Use less garlic  if you make it with raw carrots (1/2 clove) since it can be too strong raw. Unless of course you like it with a lot of garlic.

For boiled carrots you can still use the whole clove and boil it together for 15-20 min. depending on the size of the carrots your are using. Use just enough water to cover the carrots. Keep the water but don’t add it all to the blender at first.

To actually make the soup, follow the method above in the blender.

 

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