17 November 2016
Liz Robb
Carrot and Ginger Soup
Ingredients
Preparation
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First prepare the vegetables. Peel, halve lengthways and slice the carrots, peel, halve and finely chop 2 of the onions, peel and grate the fresh ginger and peel the garlic.
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Heat the olive oil and butter together in a large saucepan and gently sauté the chopped onions for 3-4 minutes, until soft but not browned.
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Add the carrots and cook over a low heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the crushed garlic for a final 2 minutes.
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Add the ground ginger and a grating of fresh nutmeg [or half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg if you don’t have it], then stir in the hot vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are really tender.
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Top up the soup with a little more stock if it appears to be too thick. Blend or liquidise the soup until it is completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
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When you are going to serve the soup, peel, halve and very finely slice the remaining onion. Heat a tablespoon of sunflower oil in a small wok or frying pan, turn the heat low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are caramelised but not burnt and bitter. Place on a piece of kitchen towel on a plate and keep warm.
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Reheat the soup then turn off the heat, add 50ml of single cream and stir in well. Ladle out the soup into bowls and top each one with a spoonful of crème fraiche topped with a small heap of caramelised onions.
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[If you don’t have time to cook the onion garnish, you could simply garnish with crème fraiche and snipped chives.]
This lightly spiced soup, packed with nourishing carrots providing vitamins and fibre, is really simple to make and can be made well in advance then quickly reheated and garnished. With the sweetness of the carrots and the warming gentle spice of ginger and nutmeg, served with a spoonful of creamy crème fraiche and a topping of caramelised onions, it makes a delicious first course for any winter meal. Serves 4.
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