Carrots are often available year round and they are usually a cheaper vegetable and a favourite with the family. I make this soup when I don’t have anything special in the fridge to get creative with. I generally always have carrots in the bottom crisper – they are such a good staple.
If you took up the challenge and grew your own heirloom carrots, from my earlier post then you may well have a glut in your garden that needs to become the hero of a dish – this is the one for them!
Elevating them with this recipe is a delicious way to enjoy an old favourite and it is relatively quick and easy to make a big batch. Here I’ve included two recipes – one for the stove top and one for the Thermomix.
The stove top version using much larger quantities and is suitable if you score a really good deal on carrots at your local farmers’ market or greengrocer. It’s also a terrific freezer filler if you want to batch cook and thank you past self later for preparing lunch another day.
The Thermomix recipe, while a smaller quantity is quicker and ideal for a warming winter lunch in a hurry. You may not end up with much to freeze, but given how easy and quick it is to prepare you won’t mind making it again.
Carrot and Coriander Soup (traditional method)
A quick easy, delicious go to for warming you up in winter.
- Large soup pot
- stick blender or food processor
- 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 onions (chopped)
- 2 kg carrots (tops off)
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 litres water
- 1 vegetable stock cube (or 1 tbsp fresh veggie stock)
- Large pinch dried coriander leaves
- 1/2 lemon (juiced)
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
- 1 tbsp Thick dollop cream (per serve)
Heat the olive oil in a large pan.
Add the onions and diced carrots
Sauté for 4mins, until they are beginning to soften but don't let them brown
Stir in the ground coriander and plenty of seasoning
Cook for about 1 minute to release the fragrance of the coriander
Add the water and stock cube and bring to the boil(you can use homemade vegetable stock if you have it)
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the carrots are really tender
Stir in the fresh coriander
Using a stick blender or food processor, blend it until it is smooth
Add the lemon juice and nutmeg to taste and adjust the salt and pepper as necessary
Reheat until just hot but not boiling and serve
Garnish with a swirl of cream if you want to. if you're countingcalories, then just skip this … It is still a very delicious soup!
If you intend to freeze this soup, add the cream after it has been reheated – just before being gobbled up with a serve of fresh or toasted bread.
Thermomix Version
Quick and Easy Carrot and Coriander Soup (Thermomix method)
So easy in the Thermie – start this just before you need a healthy, hearty lunch.
- Thermomix (I have a TM5 so check quantities are suitable for yours if you have the TM6 or TM31)
- 1 brown onion (cut in half)
- 20 gm butter (diced)
- 550 gm carrot (peeled and cut roughly)
- 500 gm water
- 1 tbsp vegetable stock paste
- 30 gm crème fraiche
- 2 pinches ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 handful fresh coriander (to serve)
Place the brown onion into the mixing bowl and chop it 3 sec/speed 5
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula
Add butter and sauté 3 min/120°C/speed 1
Add roughly chopped carrots and chop 15 sec/speed 7
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula
Add water, ground coriander and vegetable stock and cook 20 min/100°C/speed 1
Add crème fraiche and blend
Blend 1 min/speed 5-9, gradually increasing speed
Season to taste with salt and pepper, serve with an additional dollop of crème fraiche and a spring or two of fresh coriander.
Whichever way you choose to prepare this soup, you will be surprised by how tasty those carrots can be, and how quickly you can get delicious soup on the table for your hungry hordes.
Enjoy!
