Sometimes it seems like a good idea to buy a 5 pound bag of carrots. What a deal! These carrots look fantastic and I won't run out of them no matter what I decide to cook! Then, after using two or three carrots and seeing that I still have about 4 and three fourths pounds of carrots left, I begin to wonder why I thought it was such a good idea to buy that huge bag. Here is a recipe that really highlights the sweet flavor of this hearty root vegetable.
This has been a week of gray skies, drizzly rain and slightly cooler temps. It's been perfect weather to finally use my brand new red Le Crueset french oven and dish up some warming soup. This creamy carrot soup is simple and delicious with a hint of ginger and coconut milk to finish it off. Please remember that when you're making such straightforward recipes, it's absolutely important to use quality ingredients.
Buy some fresh and bright orange looking carrots, not those pale anemic looking prepeeled 'baby' things. Pick up some fresh ginger in the produce aisle, quality cooking stock, and a can of light coconut milk in the asian foods section. If you already have an onion and some olive oil, you're ready to go. Crusty bread with gooey melted cheese rounds this out to a meal.
Creamy Carrot Soup
Recipe from Lunch in Paris by Elizabeth Bard
1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium or 1 large onion, diced
2 lbs, or about 5 cups carrots, cut into rounds
1 clove garlic
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup light coconut milk or regular milk
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
Heat the oil in a big heavy pan, add the onions and saute until translucent and just beginning to caramelize. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and the carrots and stir to coat everything in the olive oil. Cook, partially covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the carrots are sweet and tender.
Add the stock and bring up to a simmer. Add the ginger and the coconut milk. If you're using regular milk, don't add it until right before you serve it. Puree the soup either in batches in a blender, or with an immersion blender until it's creamy and lucious.
The carrots give the soup sweetness while the garlic and ginger make it interesting. The coconut milk makes it smooth and creamy without using any dairy. This would be a perfect starter for a nice roast chicken dinner on a cold day. Now, I'm sure you're all dying to know how this soup was recieved by my hubby and the little pirate. I'm proud to say that this simple soup is so yummy that they both ate it right up. The little one used it mainly as a dip for his cheesy bread, but he ate it with no complaints!
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