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Coriander Carrot Soup

I first had Coriander Carrot Soup in London many years ago & instantly wondered why this soup wasn’t more popular here in the U.S. It’s a bit sweet & earthy – typically rounded out by coconut milk or cream. The last time I was in London I had the pleasure of cooking for a dinner party my mom was hosting in her flat in King’s Cross. I went back to some of my first London memories & served Coriander Carrot Soup topped with panfried curried pumpkin & quinoa as a first course.

I remember the distinct pleasure of shopping at the Waitrose in Granary Square for the big dinner party; it’s always an adventure for me to wonder the isles of a supermarket in a different country checking out their fresh ingredients, prices, flavor & food combos. The anthropologist in me is looking for the slice-of-life interactions I get to have with people from that community & the ways that they interact with one another.

Who shops here? Is there a guy with a bike? How about community bulletins? Recycling bins? A coffee shop inside the supermarket where intergenerational people feel safe to sit together? How many languages do I hear? Is there a focus on exotic foods or locally sourced & seasonal? What is the cheese section saying about the supermarket’s procurement department expectations of this community’s wealth? Class? Culture?

Coriander Carrot Soup for lunch tomorrow

5/5
1

6 servings

45 min-1 hour

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tablespoons Coriander Seeds

2-3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Bag of Carrots (I think that about two pounds, or about 8-10 medium-sized carrots), washed & rough chopped. Note: you are going to be using an immersion blender in this soup so smaller pieces of carrot make it easier to blend

1/2 Vidalia or other Sweet Onion, rough chopped

1/2 finger of Ginger, peeled & rough chopped

2-3 whole cloves of Garlic, smashed & chopped

1 15oz can of good Coconut Milk

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne

1 1/2 Teaspoons Curry

2 Teaspoons Cumin

Sea Salt

Roasted Veggies for toppings (I had roasted an Eggplant earlier in the day when I made this soup so it went on the top. Sweet Potato, Squash, Kale, would also make lovely additions to the top of your soup)

Quinoa for a topping(if you have some)

4-6 cups water depending on how thick the soup gets when you reheat it & are ready to serve it.

Instructions

Toast your Coriander seeds for a minute or 2 in a dry, hot pan. Makes the Coriander taste more toasty and also, BONUS! makes you feel super organized.

Finely grind the coriander seeds in a spare coffee grinder or a mortar & pestle. I used a coffee grinder I have for spices. I didn’t love all the husks that didn’t pulverize so I picked out the big ones and threw those in the compost bucket.I wouldn’t really suggest ground coriander as a first choice because so much of the flavor gets lost.

Heat Coconut Oil on medium in a soup pot.

Add chopped Carrots & sauté for 6-8 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add Ginger, Garlic, Onions, & sauté for 2-3 minutes. Stir so nothing burns.

Add Coconut Milk to pot. Shaking Coconut Milk can for a minute or so before opening makes it easier to pour out.

Add about 2 cups Water & stir.

Bring to a boil then reduce heat, stir & let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Purée carrot mixture with an immersion blender. It does take a while & you have to plunge down to get all those carrot bits blended. I never get all those carrot bits blended & decide after a while that the soup looks very blended & the lump or two shows that the soup is homemade.

If your soup looks thicker than applesauce & very much like baby food you are in the right place. I usually add about a cup of water here, & stir so that the soup is a little bit thinner.

Add Cayenne, Curry & Cumin to the soup. Add in about 1 Tablespoon of ground Coriander & stir. Add some Sea Salt. Turn the heat off. Taste.
It should have some depth of taste now & the spices will grow as it sits. Also remember that you will be adding a bit more spices before serving. Cover & refrigerate for a few hours.

Note: Can add Turmeric if you want the Soup to be yellow-er.

About 15-20 minutes before you want to serve your soup return it to medium-low heat & get back up to a simmer.

Taste your soup. If it needs more Curry or Cayenne add it now. Remember that it will get a pop of spice on the top! Also, is it too thick? Add more water if necessary. It should still be velvety smooth and thick. Definitely less thick than mashed potatoes, though.

Ladle into small bowls (if you only have big honking bowls, no worries. You can fill them 1/3 of the way & look very sophisticated in your plating).

Add some roasted veg (I used roasted eggplant) & some quinoa or other grain.
Note: Adding your toppings in 3 distinct areas looks very restaurant-like (rule of 3).
Sprinkle a little bit of Corriander to the top of each bowl.

Ta Da! You’re Done!

Note about Coconut Oil – I use it a LOT. The smoke point of refined coconut oil is way higher than other oils & I like the taste. You will note that I use olive oil & butter together when I am frying, coconut oil in soups and when I am roasting vegetables, & coconut oil & a bit of sesame oil when I am stir frying.

Another note about Coconut Oil – It’s what I use instead of body lotion. Seriously.

Categories:Food on the Floor

Ema

Ema (Eeeeee-Mah, sometimes written Imma) is Hebrew for Mom. 100's of people call Eve Ema and it warms her heart.

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