Curried Carrot Soup

Ahhh, it feels like fall here in Portland, and I've been craving apples and root veggies.  We've had company the past week, and since they're vegetarian, I've focused my cooking on vegetables.  We've had ratatouille and rice noodles, and veggies with an Asian Peanut Sauce.  Yesterday, I wanted something warm and comforting, which usually means I make some sort of soup.  And what soup is so easy and cheap....and impresses your company?  Curried carrot soup, of course!  This is one of my favorites, and now that I have a blender, I'm able to achieve that smooth, silky texture that makes this soup special.

Also, on a side note, I always wondered if it was necessary to peel your carrots.  I have learned since that it is only necessary if your carrots have a tougher skin or have been packaged for some time, because the skin becomes bitter.  If you buy fresh, farmer's market carrots that have been pulled just a few hours before and still have smooth, thin skin, there is no reason to peel them! 

Actually, I rarely, if ever, peel my carrots (even if they have slightly bitter skin).  Most of the time I don't find it necessary.  However, with this soup, I recommend it because carrot is the star of the show.  The soup should be warm and savory, but with the delicious hint of natural sweetness that comes from the carrots themselves.  Peeling insures that there will be no bitterness.

On another note, I recommend using whole coconut milk, not light or fat-free.  You need a little fat to create a smooth emulsion in this soup.  You can use light or even skip the coconut milk and just use water, but you won't get quite the same texture.  Plus, coconut is a healthy fat!

This soup is the perfect early fall/late summer offering.  It pairs well with meat or veggies.  It would be great with tiny beef or lamb meatballs.  It would also be delicious as a sauce over chicken.  The base recipe is great, but it is so simple that you can invent many different recipes around it! :)


T.E.A's Curried Carrot Soup

2 TB coconut oil (or vegetable oil for sauteing)
1 medium onion, medium dice
4 cloves garlic, fine chop
1 TB curry powder (see homemade recipe below, but storebought is ok too!)
10 large carrots, peeled and chopped in a large dice
1 can whole coconut milk
salt to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat coconut oil on medium high heat.  Add onions and a pinch of salt.  Saute onions until they are soft and translucent.  Add a little water as needed to keep the onions from browning too much...watch for steam as you add the water!
2.  Add garlic and curry powder to onions.  Saute for 1-2 mins or until fragrant.

3. Add chopped carrots to onion mix and add enough water to just cover the veggies plus about 3 tsp salt.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce to a slow boil.  Boil until carrots are soft, about 20-30 mins (depending on how large you chopped them!).  I judge softness by how easily a butter knife goes through them...it should feel like butter when you cut them: soft, but with a little firmness.
5. Pour the soup through the colander that is set over a large bowl to catch the carrots, but still preserve the liquid.  Add carrots to a blender and add enough coconut milk to cover them (you might have to do several batches) and puree until silky smooth (about 1-2 mins).  Add more coconut milk or preserved liquid as needed.  The consistency of this soup should be silky and about as thick as heavy cream (or thicker if you like...I usually make mine a little thick).
6. Taste soup and season with salt as necessary.  Enjoy immediately! Or pour finished soup in a smaller pot and keep warm until you are ready to eat.         

The Experimental Alchemist's Curry Powder:  makes about 1/4 cup

(This recipe takes from both Indian and African influences.  There are thousands of different curry recipes depending on the cuisine, region, and household. So, don't be afraid to experiment with your own curry mixtures!  After all, it's all about how you want your food to taste.  Some additions to curry powder can be dried ground ginger, fenugreek, dry mustard, red pepper flakes, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and chili powder.)

1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp cardamom seed
1 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Heat a dry skillet on medium high heat.  Add in the cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds.  Toast seeds while shaking pan continuously for about 1 minute or until fragrant.  Be careful not to burn seeds.
Add all ingredients into a spice grinder (or mortar and pestle) and grind into a smooth powder.  Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!