Carrot Curry Coconut Soup

I tasted this delicious spring soup several years ago at a wine tasting. I believe they paired it with a Pinot Gris, but I also enjoy it with a local Pinot Rose! I think I embarrassed Paul by sneaking three helpings, but I hadn’t tasted these flavors together before. And I think I made a vat of it the very next day. It is sweet, silky, spicy, and sippable. In a pinch, you can actually substitute butternut squash cubes for the carrots and it also tastes amazing! It is a flavor UPGRADE from the Amity Farmhouse Cookbook “Carrot Ginger Soup”.

This is actually a surprising simple recipe! Start to finish it might take you 30 minutes – especially if you use an immersion blender instead of the regular blender. You really need to let it cool down for a regular blender, but the immersion doesn’t require it. Apologies for no pictures but it should make sense without them. I’ll try and remember to take some next time I make it 🙂

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1, 15oz can, full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tablespoon yellow curry powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 cups broth, for thinning

Heat a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cover and sweat until soft and translucent, 5 or so minutes. Stir in the ginger and garlic, cooking for a couple more minutes. Next, add in the carrots and cook for a few minutes, just to start the cooking process. 

Finally, add in the curry powder, cumin, and salt. Stir to coat everything then add in coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Once the carrots are tender, carefully transfer to a high-powered blender (or use an immersion hand-blender in the pot if you have one). Start to puree and have broth on hand. Add ¼ to ½ cup of broth as needed to thin the soup down. You want it to be silky and have a texture that is pour-able, but not as thick as applesauce. 

Once pureed, return the soup to the pot and heat again before serving. I like to top with a little Crema Mexicana (or thinned sour cream) and some toasted pepitas. Alternatively, a dark toasted english muffin crouton, lightly buttered. It just really needs something crunchy and a little bland to balance the lovely, pungent flavor of the soup. You may want to stick with a 1 or 2 cup portion… it’s like spinach, there is a limit to how much your guests will want to eat at a time.

NOTE: use your ugliest carrots for this soup. If you have a garden, guarantee you have three-leggers, half cracked, teenie-tinys, and – ahem – obscene! They are all perfect for this soup. Just make sure you peel or cut out any dirt, blemishes or green parts.

NOTE #2: Sometimes the curry powder isn’t spicy enough for me. Instead of adding more curry powder (which can give it a bitter taste), just add cayenne powder. One pinch at a time, giving it a couple minutes to bloom between additions.

NOTE #3: Freezes GREAT! I recommend freezing in 1-2 cup portions for re-heat-and-eat lunches.