Carrots have many uses in culinary. Alone, they can serve as the main ingredient to colorful side dishes after they are roasted, sauteed, braised blanched or boiled.

When combined with other vegetables, they can serve as important components for other dishes such as salads, sauces, and soups. That last one especially is a great example as it not only calls on carrots as a component but also as the main ingredient for food.

In fact, one of the easiest carrot based soups to make in the kitchen is simply that: a carrot soup. Today's recipe holds nothing back for those who want to get the most out of carrots and will also include some interesting variations to one of the world's simplest dishes.

The recipe

Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp flour
  • Two cloves of garlic, minced
  • One medium onion, chopped
  • One celery stock, chopped
  • Five carrots, chopped
  • 1-quart chicken stock or broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley for garnish
  • Heavy cream for garnish

Directions:

  1. Melt the butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Saute the minced garlic and onions for 2 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the celery and carrots and stir to coat. Saute for 5 minutes or until soft.
  2. Add the stock/broth to the sauce pot and stir the ingredients together. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer. Let the liquid simmer for 20-25 minutes.
  3. Remove the soup from the heat. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor until it reaches the desired consistency. Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the soup and stir to combine.
  4. Serve garnished with swirls of heavy cream and chopped fresh parsley.

Serves: 6

Variations

  • Carrot and Curry Soup - Add 2 teaspoons of curry in Step 2
  • Vegan Carrot Soup - Substitute vegetable stock/broth for the chicken stock/broth in Step 2.
  • Creamy Carrot Soup - Add 1 cup more of heavy cream or 1 cup of milk in Step 3.
  • Chicken and Carrot Soup - Add two diced skinless chicken thighs to the soup and boil for five more minutes after Step 3.
  • Carrot and Ginger Soup - Add one piece of fresh ginger (peeled and chopped) in Step 1.
  • Chile, Cilantro, and Carrot Soup - Add one teaspoon of minced chile in Step 1. For garnish, substitute cilantro for the parsley in Step 4.
  • Roasted Carrot soup - Substitute the regular carrots for roasted carrots. To make the roasted carrots, preheat an oven to 190°C. Place the carrot into a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil. Roast the carrots until they appear blistered.
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