Carrot Soup

Many months ago my grandmother approached me proclaiming of an ethereal carrot soup made at the hospital she volunteers at. I returned to my parents house several times to hear of the story, the soup became something of legend. That is until the planets aligned and one of my visits timed to the serving of the soup, not only that but my grandmother also managed to pick up an extra cup for me to try.

Having recreated commercially produced foods before, I was asked to give the soup a shot. I accepted, and finally had time to try my hand at the soup. I believe I got about as close as one can get without having access to the same ingredients that the(presumably a large corporate) manufacturer uses.

1 diced onion
3 cups julienne carrots
2 large cloves garlic
1 Tablespoon salt
4 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1 quart chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 Tablespoon dried chives
1 pinch dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup carrot juice
2 teaspoon corn starch
1 cup cream
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce

1. In a stock pot melt the butter
2. Add into the pot the onions and cook until translucent
3. Add the carrots and cook for 1 minute
4. Next add in the garlic and salt and cook for another minute
5. Stir the flour into the vegetables and continue to cook until the flour becomes a golden color
6. Stir in the stock, scrapping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any stuck-on flour
7. Toss in the dried chives, dill, ginger, and cider vinegar, and bring to a boil
8. Cook the soup stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the taste of flour has gone away.
9. In a small cup stir together the carrot juice and corn starch, until all of the starch dissolves
10. Stir the carrot juice into the hot soup
11. Finally add the cream and hot sauce, stir to incorporate

Yields: 1.5 quarts                            

The soup tastes great with your favorite corn bread and a glass of sauvignon blanc. It is sweet, creamy and just hearty enough for those cold winter days when you just need a cup of soup to keep your hands and tummy warm.

Keep eating,

JTFussy