Curried Carrot Soup

It’s cold outside. I hear it’s snowing somewhere.

Inside, it’s warm. We made soup.

It’s a riff on the rather ubiquitous curried squash soup, but I had a huge bag of carrots to use up, so in they went. Keeping with the whatever’s-in-the-fridge theme, this is a water-based soup; we didn’t have broth, and I’ve been busy enough that I was in no mood to make some.

I’ve made it three times. The first time, I used a bit of miso and some thai curry paste (from a jar, available at most grocery stores). Next, I switched it up and went Indian, with curry powder and cumin seeds. Both were great, both quite easy. I slightly preferred the Indian version, which I tweaked a bit for round three. That’s the take I’m sharing today. It’s a pure soup, one you likely can make with things you already have lying around. Onion, carrots, spices, water. Some coconut milk to bring things together. That’s all, folks.

I’ve been trying out some self-portraiture recently, and I took one round of shots as I polished off the last of this soup. Here are a couple that came out alright:

As you can see, I liked the soup a lot.

Stay warm and cuddly. I’ll be back soon with an awesome (hot! alcoholic!) beverage.

Curried Carrot Soup

There is one ingredient in this soup that I didn’t mention above: apple cider. I used it in round 3, and I liked the subtle sweetness it lent the soup. If you don’t have apple cider on hand, though, feel free to substitute apple juice, or even just a fourth cup of water, and a tablespoon of honey if you still want that sweetness. Simplicity is the best thing about this soup. No need to go fishing around for ingredients; just use what you have on hand.

To wit: I served the soup with a swirl of watered-down yogurt and a bit of apple cider syrup, since I had some lying around from a drink-making experiment (yes, I know I’m not normal). You could serve this with a swirl of coconut milk, a drizzle of honey, or even just a simple sprig of parsley or cilantro. Again, flaunt what you’ve got.

2 tablespoons ghee, grapeseed oil, or other flavorless oil (vegetable or canola is fine)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
1.5 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch coins (no need to be precise here – you’re blending the soup)
3 cups water
1 cup apple cider or apple juice (can also substitute water)
1 can light coconut milk

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. No need to wait for the oil to heat up; add onions and 1/2 a teaspoon of salt, stir to combine, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cinnamon, and cayenne; stir to combine. Add the carrots and the remaining teaspoon of salt, stir to combine, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more. Add the apple cider (or 1 cup of water) and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any fond that has formed. Add the remaining water, stir everything together, cover, and cook until carrots are completely soft, 15-20 minutes.

Shake coconut milk very well, then add to the soup. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree the soup (in batches, if necessary) until completely smooth. Serve immediately, or transfer to a heat-safe container (I like to store it in mason jars) and reheat before serving. Soup keeps for at least a week, if it sticks around that long.