Curry Ginger Carrot Bisque

   

I've got a cold...congestion, aches, bit of a sore throat...nothing fancy, just feeling kind of lousy.  Yesterday, thinking about what to make for dinner, I nixed the idea of something like pasta and homemade sauce in favor of something a bit more soothing.  Soup.

You know how it is when you aren't feeling well.  You just want to feel better.  And in the meantime, you want to feel...nurtured.  Wrapped up in a blanket.  Cozy.  Cared for.

So then it was on to what kind of soup I should make.  I thought about miso soup with little cubes of tofu...or chicken noodle (no chicken on hand, though, so never mind that)...some sort of bean soup...butternut squash....

I settled on carrot.  I'd bought a big bag of carrots to make my nephew's birthday cake a couple of weeks ago, and I still had a ton left.  They're big carrots. 

So, okay, I'd make some sort of carrot soup.  What else would I put in there?  Besides the obvious - onion, celery...a little butter...garlic? yeah, garlic is good for you...what else...carrots are sweet...what would work with that...maybe some ginger?  yes, ginger and carrots...nice balance there...but it still needed something more...what else would go nicely with that...sweet and kind of sharp/spicy...ooh - curry kinds of flavors...cumin and coriander!  Yesssssss, that should do nicely.  I had some chicken stock in the fridge, too.  Perfect.

So here's what I came up with:

1/4 stick of butter (you could use less)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

a 1" knob (approx) of fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1  1/2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped to coins about 1/2 inch thick or so

3  1/4 cups chicken stock (that's what I had)

3/4 cup white wine

salt to taste

Got that?  Okay.

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes or so until the onion and celery soften.

Add the garlic and ginger, saute a minute or so, then add in the coriander and cumin.  Stir around for another minute.

Add everything else - the carrots, wine, and chicken stock.

Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then drop to a simmer and cook until the carrots are soft - about 30-40 minutes, depending on the size of your carrots.

Once the carrots are soft, puree the mixture (I started out using an immersion blender but ended up putting everything in my food processor) until smooth.  Taste, and add salt if you want to.

I think I should have cooked mine a bit longer.  The carrots could have been a bit softer, and I think my final product would have been smoother as a result.

But still.  It tasted very good.  The ginger and carrot are a nice combination, and the cumin and coriander provided a mild, warming undercurrent of flavor.

I also made some little rolls to go along with it.  You can see that recipe here.

The verdict?  Bill and I liked it, Julia said she liked it, but I think she was saying that to look good in front of Daddy, because Alex definitely did NOT like it and was quite vocal and dramatic about the whole thing.

Anyway.  If you've got a big bag of carrots in the fridge, some fresh ginger kicking around, and are in need of warmth and comfort, give this little soup a try.  (P.S. - I garnished the soup with a few dried ginger chips.)

If nothing else, it'll be great for your eyesight, right?

Comments

[Stef]

This looks like the kind of soup that I could eat every day. Its so inviting! Thanks for sharing.

[Joe]

Your recipe is very similar to one Ive made several times this fall. My recommendation is to skip the butter and get your fat from coconut milk instead. The milkiness and the subtle flavor of the coconut mix very well with the other flavors in the soup. I havent used any wine in mine, though, so I dont know how that would work out.

[Hillary]

I love these flavors together. I had a soup just like this the other day! Thanks for a recipe!

[Ilona]

Because of this post, I made my first carrot soup today! I used most of your recipe, but for seasoning I used a few spoonfuls of the wonderful curry paste that my Indian neighbour makes.
I must say, it's an instant favourite! I caught my boyfriend actually licking the bowl! :) So thanks for the inspiration. ;)

[Ilona]

And I made it again today! :)

[jayne]

Hahahaha! So glad you enjoyed it! I'm jealous, though - I wish we had an Indian neighbor who made (and shared) curry pastes with us! Happy New Year, Ilona!

[amy gates]

this soup has become a favorite for me to make, i just made it again tonight for dinner! thanks!

[Karen]

This is the BEST carrot soup we've ever had!

You're right about cooking the carrots longer; made it once and, after blending, ended up with micro carrot bits instead of smooth consistency. The second time I made it, I added a teaspoon of curry powder during (longer) carrot cooking stage and then, after the blending, I put the blended soup back in the pot and added a can of coconut milk. Very smooth consistency, very rich flavor!

Also: had not heard the term knob for a finger of ginger; cute! I like it!

Also: is it curried if there is no curry powder? Just curious.

Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe.

[jayne]

Karen,

So glad you enjoyed this soup! Your additions sound great. Oh - and yes, it's still curried without the curry powder - the cumin and coriander are common elements of curries and I tend to use them instead of curry powder. But maybe I didn't put enough in the when I wrote up the recipe. But I also think this type of soup is a fun base to play with - with a few adjustments here and there, you can make it your own. Thanks again for writing!

[Mandie Hunter, Madison, WI]

I absolutely love this soup. I made it for my boyfriend and he cannot stop chanting "carrot, ginger, curry soup"... it is ridiculous! I altered the recipe a bit due to what I had in the house. I substituted the cumin and coriander for 2tsp curry power (and I added an extra tsp after puree.. sooo tasty). I also substituted 2 small white potatoes for the celery. It turned out awesome. I would totally recommend it.