Carrot and Coriander Soup
On September 06, 2009 in Soups
Still cleaning, unpacking and assembling furniture while adjusting to the new kitchen. It is a great thing to now have a dishwasher and a full-size oven. I picked up some organic Quebec carrots at the market and decided to make a quick soup to eat on our new patio for our first meal in the new home. Unfortunately, between the squirrels and general drop and rot, our new apple tree was already bare, so I couldn’t make a pie for dessert.
Carrot and Coriander Soup
- 1-1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 6 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium green apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamom pods
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- (optional) 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
- salt and cayenne pepper
- In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast coriander seeds until fragrant. Pour into a mortar, food processor or spice mill and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, melt the ghee and add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until translucent, then add the ground coriander and garlic and cook for a minute longer.
- Add the carrots, potato, apple and celery to the pot and stir in with the onions.
- Cover the vegetables with stock, add the cardamom and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until the carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes.
- Remove the cardamom pods and bay leaves, and, in small batches, puree the soup in a blender. Do not fill the blender more than half full or risk scalding yourself with hot soup.
- Return to the soup to the pot and, off the heat, stir in the cream. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper, garnish with fresh chopped coriander if desired, and serve immediately.
Apple and cardamom give the carrots a slight tart contrast and floral essence. Orange zest or marmalade and chopped mint, instead of apple, cardamom and coriander, would make a nice variation.