Carrot soup

[lindag]

Watching an older Top Chef yesterday I was stunned to see Carrot Soup the big winner in competition with 14 chefs.  I've never eaten this.

Anyone have a really killer recipe?

 

[Tropicalsenior]

I've never made carrot soup myself because I'm not a fan of cream soups but I did have some at a friend's house about 25 years ago that was delicious. I called her and she said that the recipe was from Gourmet magazine and she no longer had it but she did go to Google and review quite a few recipes for me. She said that this one was closest to what she had done. She also remembered though that she didn't have any fresh ginger so she used powdered Ginger.

[ElsieD]

I have had this recipe for over 30 years and don't remember where I got it from.  But, it continues to get rave reviews for such a simple soup.

 

Thyme Carrot Soup

 

6 cups chicken stock

1½ lbs carrots

6 tbps unsalted butter

1 onion, minced

½ cup heavy cream

1½ Tbsp fresh thyme, minced (1 ½ tsp dried)

freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper

 

 

In a large sauce pan combine 6 cups of chicken stock (or tinned chicken broth) and

1½ lbs of carrots cut into 1” pieces.

 

Bring the stock to a boil and simmer the carrots, covered for 20 minutes or until tender.

 

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender, purée the mixture in batches and force the mixture through a food mill into another large sauce pan.

 

In a small skillet, cook onion, minced in unsalted butter over moderate heat, stirring for 3 minutes or until it is softened.

 

Add the onion to the sauce pan with the cream, thyme and freshly grated nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes.

 

Let soup stand, covered, for 5 minutes to let the flavours blend, ladle it into heated bowls and garnish each serving with minced fresh thyme.

 

Serve 4-6

[rotuts]

I used to make a carrot soup that was basically

 

Carrots  // some red onion //

 

then , some Patak curry paste .  there are various blends .  all work  use the paste  not the simmer sauce.

 

and adding  low fat cottage cheese  for some creaminess .

 

all blended until smooth .

 

so , curried carrot soup.

[JAZ]

Here's a recipe I developed a while back for NPR's Kitchen Window blog, back when that existed. It was based on an amuse bouche I had at a San Francisco restaurant, carrot soup with chive oil and vanilla. I know the vanilla seems odd, but it works.

https://www.npr.org/2012/04/03/149928477/carrot-soup

[lindag]

I came across this recipe from Ina Garten

 

Ginger carrot soup

[JAZ]

I know carrot and ginger soup is really popular, but personally, I'm not a fan. I guess because carrots are so sweet, the ginger makes the soup seem like a dessert to me. 

[TdeV]

@JAZ, how would you suggest one makes carrot juice (if one doesn't own a juicer)? TIA.

[JAZ]

5 minutes ago, TdeV said:

@JAZ, how would you suggest one makes carrot juice (if one doesn't own a juicer)? TIA.

 

I have always bought it, either from a juice bar or in the refrigerated juice section of the grocery store. I think Trader Joe's might carry bottled carrot juice, but don't quote me on that. 

[TdeV]

50 minutes ago, lindag said:

I came across this recipe from Ina Garten

 

Ginger carrot soup

 

Sorry, lindag, but I didn't find Ina Garten in that recipe.

But I did find Ina Garten Carrot Ginger Soup

 

[donk79]

I have not made it, but this was a bit of a thing for a while.

 

 

[liuzhou]

6 hours ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I've never made carrot soup myself because I'm not a fan of cream soups

 

My carrot soup doesn't use cream. I don't really have a recipe  as such and wing it each time. But basically:

 

Onions, fresh ginger and carrots fried till softening. Add chicken (or veg) stock, salt and white pepper and cook till vegetables are melting. Add ground coriander and blend until almost but not totally smooth. I use my Bamix blltzer.

 

Serve with a topping of carrot tops as garnish. Never had any complaints. In fact, the first time I made it for my friend J she ate three bowls!

 

 

 

 

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I've made and enjoyed the carrot soup recipe from Modernist Cuisine.

 

[Maison Rustique]

I can't recall for sure but it seems like there was a carrot soup recipe in Moosewood Cookbook--all cookbooks are either packed or at the other house, so can't check.

 

I can tell you how I'd wing one just like I do with pumpkin soup. Puree carrots (from raw and cooked or canned) and put in a pan with a can of coconut milk. Add whatever seasoning floats your boat. I make pumpkin soup this way and it is the easiest, tastiest thing ever. If you find pumpkin or carrots too sweet for ginger, add some different more savory herbs or spices. Cumin would be good. Maybe thyme.

[liuzhou]

8 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

Cumin would be good.

 

I've on occasion used cumin instead of coriander in my carrot soup a couple of posts back. It certainly works, but I just prefer coriander. My taste buds.

 

 

[AAQuesada]

Potage Crecy (French carrot soup) was one of the first things we made in culinary school after practicing the various knife cuts on giant horse carrots lol!

[Wholemeal Crank]

This is my current favorite, the only version I've liked enough to share on my website (here if you prefer to link to it):

 

Curried Carrot-Parsnip Soup

 

Invented on a chilly night's ride home from work....and this one came out so nice that I had to share.  The parsnips complement the carrots wonderfully, being sweet and mild when cooked, and while you could get something nice with carrots alone, it would not be as good.

1 t mustard oil or other vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

4 medium carrots, sliced thickly
3 medium parsnips, sliced thickly

4 dried tamarind pods, shelled
6 pods cardamom
1 tbsp whole coriander seed
1 tsp dried galangal chunks

3 C water

1/4 C unsweetened coconut

2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
1 tsp paprika, or to taste
1 tbsp south indian sambar powder (from 1000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra) or another curry powder of your choice
1 tsp salt or to taste

In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and cumin briefly, then saute the onion lightly.  Add the carrots and parsnips, water, and, in a small metal bowl set on top of the vegetables, the tamarind, cardamom, coriander and galangal with a bit more water to cover them.  Bring up to 15# pressure and cook 12 minutes.  

While the vegetables are cooking, in another pan, lightly toast the coconut until golden.

Strain the separate spice water into the vegetable mixture, pressing the tamarind pulp into the mixture.  Puree all in a blender or food processor.  Stir in the coconut, ginger, cayenne, paprika, curry powder, and salt, and adjust spices to taste. 

 

 

[Wholemeal Crank]

Not sure what happened to  display the font in reverse color, so weird and I can't edit that.  

 

Curried Carrot-Parsnip Soup

 

Invented on a chilly night's ride home from work....and this one came out so nice that I had to share.  The parsnips complement the carrots wonderfully, being sweet and mild when cooked, and while you could get something nice with carrots alone, it would not be as good.

1 t mustard oil or other vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

4 medium carrots, sliced thickly
3 medium parsnips, sliced thickly

4 dried tamarind pods, shelled
6 pods cardamom
1 tbsp whole coriander seed
1 tsp dried galangal chunks

3 C water

1/4 C unsweetened coconut

2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp cayenne, or to taste
1 tsp paprika, or to taste
1 tbsp south indian sambar powder (from 1000 Indian Recipes by Neelam Batra) or another curry powder of your choice
1 tsp salt or to taste

In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and cumin briefly, then saute the onion lightly.  Add the carrots and parsnips, water, and, in a small metal bowl set on top of the vegetables, the tamarind, cardamom, coriander and galangal with a bit more water to cover them.  Bring up to 15# pressure and cook 12 minutes. 

While the vegetables are cooking, in another pan, lightly toast the coconut until golden.

Strain the separate spice water into the vegetable mixture, pressing the tamarind pulp into the mixture.  Puree all in a blender or food processor.  Stir in the coconut, ginger, cayenne, paprika, curry powder, and salt, and adjust spices to taste.