I have always been a huge fan of soups and it’s made round the year in my home. But during winter, the frequency increases manifold. After all, what can be more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of soup on cold, wintry nights!
While I make a lot of soups at home, many of the recipes do not make it to the blog. But with increasing requests from readers, especially during this season, I have decided to update the blog with more recipes, both vegetarian and non vegetarian. Starting with this delicious Moroccan Carrot Soup….
Carrot is a much loved vegetable in our home. It’s one I can get Sam to eat without any fuss and as for Adi, he behaves like Bugs Bunny around it. Even though I have made carrot soup plenty of times, I have never tried the Moroccan style before. But the memory of having it at one of our favourite Middle Eastern restaurants has always stayed in my mind. The spices used to flavour the soup make it a standout and really intensifies the sweetness of the carrots.
Then I came upon a carrot soup recipe by Rebecca Katz, which calls for saffron as a special ingredient. Now that was interesting and I really wanted to give it a try to experience what saffron adds in terms of flavour to a soup like this.
And it turned out beautiful. A tiny pinch of saffron is enough for a dish like this or it will overpower the flavours completely and totally ruin it. But in the right amount, it works magic along with the other spices to make this the best carrot soup ever.
Kept the garnish simple and traditional, with sourdough croutons, coriander leaves and a pinch of paprika.
And before we get on to the recipe, here are five of my all time favourite soups….
Scandinavian Pumpkin and Potato Soup
Chicken Noodle Soup with Brown Mushrooms
Ingredients:
- 1 kg carrot; cut into chunks
- 1 onion; diced
- 1 celery stick; diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- Salt, to season
- A pinch of saffron (soaked in 2 tbsp warm milk)
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 tsp lemon zest + lemon juice
To garnish:
- Sourdough croutons
- Sweet paprika
- Coriander leaves
Method:
- In a large pot, heat oil and add the onions, celery and carrots. Cook on high heat for 5 minutes with regular stirring.
- Then add the bay leaf, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilli flakes, saffron with milk and vegetable stock. Season with salt and mix well to combine.
- Bring to boil and then simmer gently till the carrots are completely cooked (takes about 20-25 minutes).
- Cool slightly and add the lemon zest. Blend into a soup like consistency using a stick blender. If using a mixer, blend in batches.
- Return to heat and add half of the lemon juice. Taste and add more if necessary. Also add water to get the desired consistency if the soup feels too thick.
- Serve warm garnished with croutons, fresh coriander leaves and a pinch of sweet paprika.
