the carrot approach

Another week, another soup. I never tire of them. There are always new combinations or old favourites. Soups are affected by seasonality more than any other dish I can think of, perhaps because it is the essence of the ingredients that make a given soup so memorable.

Carrots are the shining star in this week’s potage. I adore carrots – maybe it’s a kid thing. Being brought up on carrot sticks isn’t all bad. Or perhaps it’s the Bugs Bunny association.

Anyway, I love ‘em, and this carrot-love sent me on a mindless trivia quest. Did anyone know it’s called a gulerod in Danish? And that back in the day (the day being the 1200’s), all carrots that were eaten were purple?

My first experience of carrot soup was carrot and coriander – and way too heavy on the coriander. I may be permanently scarred with regards to this specific recipe.

Second time was a winter carrot soup, inspired by Nigel Slater in one of his Kitchen Diaries. Owing to a cold, I went a “little” too heavy on the cayenne pepper. Scarred again.

This time, I’m keeping it simple. I considered adding thyme, but in the end, I decided that letting the carrot’s full flavour have prominence was best. A scoop of tomato puree backed up the warmth, colour and sweetness of the carrots.

This soup definitely gives butternut squash soup a run for its money. I think with carrot, it’s best not to overspice.

My carrot soup
(serves 2)

3 very large carrots, peeled and grated
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 litre of hot chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil (though less can be used if you are watching the fat content)
plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan (if it is big enough) or a pot. Add the grated carrot and onion and allow the oil to spread evenly throughout. Sauté over medium heat until the carrots are very soft and the onions are translucent.

Mix in the tomato puree and spread evenly. Turn up the heat and add the stock little by little, allowing the soup to heat back up. Once all the stock is in, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Season well.

After about 10 minutes, use a hand blender to whiz the soup into a fine puree. (If you want a very silky soup for a first course, strain the soup through cheesecloth or a sieve.) Check the seasoning – it likely needs a bit more salt and black pepper. Allow the soup to heat back up, though not to a boil.

Serve immediately in big bowls, perhaps with wholemeal bread.

I actually decided to serve this soup with goats cheese toasts, using the last of my Little Wallop from the cheese festival. Giving it another three weeks to mature has really made the difference – the cheese is no longer understated, but quite strong – with almost a blue note to it. Giving the toast and cheese 3 minutes under a grill results in a rather nice treat.