Finding Comfort in a Carrot Soup — Du réconfort dans une soupe aux carottes
Tel père, telle fille !
Like father, like daughter.
My dad and I share a love for a vegetable.
Les carottes
And it is not because we say in French that “Les carottes ça rend aimable” (Eating carrots makes people agreeable).
He and I love them when they are simply grated in a salad, seasoned with a plain or mustard vinaigrette. At home, when short of ideas, it occurred often that my mum would ask my dad, my brother B. and I what we wanted to eat, to which both my dad and I would frequently answer “Des carottes râpées, sil te plaît!” “Again! Aren’t you tired of grated carrots?” she would respond.
Never. We could eat this type of salad every day. When in season, I remember going to our vegetable garden to “steal” a few carrots that I would eat unpeeled, only brushed to remove the dirt. They had a taste that I cannot even describe, turning me into a real carrot snob. I have not lost this old habit, hoping actually to pass it to my children, one day. Not a bad thing, is it?
But there is more to carrots than des carottes râpées. In fact, perhaps even before eating carrots in salad, I should say that I have always loved carrot soup. With ginger for example or mixed with other vegetables such as leek or celery.
Last night, I felt like improvising on my more traditional carrot soup. I took the following approach. As I walked to the spice rack placed next to the stove, I held a few spices jars in my hands, opened the lid of each and smelled. “Mmmmmmm…” Which one would be a good friend to mes bonnes carottes? I would have to admit that I had already an idea in mind, and was happy to find out that it turned out to be an excellent one: cardamom and coriander. I used cardamom seeds and ground coriander as a spices basis. Then I added carrots and let the magic of the soup happens on its own. Don’t you love to be making vegetable soups? Soups of this type are so easy to prepare that it is too nice to be true. Nutritious, the perfect comfort food, they are always welcomed as an emergency type of food. I knew that snow was not the only reason that made me love the wintry season. Soups have to be the best food to refill in well-needed vitamins. Especially after a holiday season, or now that it is really cold, at last.
Cardamom, Coriander Carrot Soup and Pistachios
You need:
- 1 lb + 9 oz organic carrots
- 1 large shallot
- 3 + 1/3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 5 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and grinded
- 2 Tbsp unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- A few leaves of fresh coriander
- Salt and pepper
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil and cook the chopped shallot on low to medium heat, without coloring.
- After a few mns, add the ground coriander and cardamom seeds. Let cook for 2 to 3 mns on low to medium heat so that the spices develop.
- Then, add the slices of carrots. Cook for 3 to 4 mns before adding the water (hot preferably). Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer until the carrots are tender (about 30 mns).
- Mix your soup finely.
- If necessary, add more hot water in case too much water evaporated — I like my soups thick. Check the seasoning.
- Add chopped unsalted pistachios and fresh coriander on top. Choose a good loaf of bread to eat with it.
Note: I made the same soup with a blend of butternut squash, carrot and potato, with the butternut squash as the main vegetable (1 butternut squash 1 large carrot and 2 potatoes), and it was equally delicious)
Le coin français
Soupe de carottes à la cardamome, coriandre et pistaches
Ingrédients :
- 700 g de carottes bio
- 1 grosse échalote
- 800 ml d’eau
- 1 càs de coriandre en poudre
- 5 capsules de cardamome vertes, graines pilées grossièrement
- 2 càs de pistaches non salées
- 3 càs d’huile d’olive
- Quelques feuilles de coriandre fraîches
- Sel et poivre
Étapes :
- Faites revenir l’échalote hachée dans l’huile d’olive, sans colorer.
- Après quelques minutes ajoutez la coriandre en poudre et les graines de cardamome pilées. Laissez cuire sur feu doux pendant 2 à 3 mns pour que les épices se développent.
- Ajoutez ensuite les carottes pelées et coupées en rondelles. Faites revenir pendant 3 à 4 mns, puis ajoutez l’eau (chaude de préférence). Salez, poivrez et couvrez, en faisant mijoter jusqu’a ce que les carottes soient cuites (environ 30 mns).
- Mixez votre soupe finement.
- Au besoin, si trop d’eau s’est évaporée, allongez la soupe avec un peu d’eau chaude — j’aime les soupes épaisses. Rectifiez l’assaisonnement.
- Ajoutez des pistaches concassées et de la coriandre fraîche. Choisissez aussi un bon pain pour déguster.
Remarque : j’ai fait la même soupe avec une mélange de légumes, courge musquée, carotte et pommes de terre (1 courge musquée, 1 grosse carotte et 2 pommes de terre) et c’était délicieux)
26 Comments »
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hihhi, les grands esprits se rencontrent… (chez moi aussi, aujourd’hui, c’était soup day
)) Et en plus ta version est exactement en ligne avec tout ce que j’aime, je note!! 
)
Comment by Sigrid — On January, 17th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
the combination of spices sounds truly lovely. I´ll give it a try during the winter.
Since you love carrots so much, let me recommend you a carrot-chipotle syrup a chef called Ming Tsai made in his tv show. It´s lovely with chicken, pasta and vegetables.
http://simplyming.org/recipes/118_Carrot-Chipotle_Sy.html
Comment by Marce — On January, 17th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
Béa, you write so easy. Like you’re just sitting here with a cup a coffee.
I remember eating carrots forever but I remember the first time I truely tasted one after pretty much eliminating salt from my diet. I was wowed by how sweet it was all by itself. I like the grated carrot salad! The soup looks most beautiful.
Comment by Tanna — On January, 17th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I love carrots, this soup sounds wonderful, Bea!
Comment by Kat — On January, 17th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Yum, yum. I love me the veggies too…but NO one in my family likes them but me.
Comment by peabody — On January, 17th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
I never thought carrot soup could look so visually appealing! I don’t really like carrots very much, but after looking at the beautiful color and texture in this photo, I find myself really wanting some carrot soup. Just gorgeous!
Comment by Natalia — On January, 17th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Je croie que je vais m’y mettre au réconfort!
Comment by Adèle — On January, 17th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
I adore the combinations here Béa, I often make and enjoy a coriander and orange carrot soup, and a cashew nut and carrot soup, so this sounds very appealing! Love the new look too!
xxxx Bron
Comment by Bron — On January, 17th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
That looks very thick! Needs a nice bit of bread to go with!
Comment by Jeff — On January, 17th, 2007 at 9:24 pm
c’est bien parce que c’est toi que je viens voir derrière une “soupe de carottes” à priori pas très attirante à mon goût.. et je dois dire que les épices et les pistaches (surtout les pistaches, yum) me la rendent tout de suite sympathique.. trèèèès sympathique!
Comment by avital — On January, 17th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
“les carottes ça rend aimable” et ça donne les cuisses roses selon d’autres sources!
moi aussi j’adore les carottes, quand j’étais petite, à chaque fois que j’étais malade (souvent des problèmes de bronche) j’en demandais à ma mère, des carottes crues à gnignoter c’était le seul truc que je pouvais avaler!
bonne journée et merci pour cette soupe épicée vitaminée!
Comment by peggy — On January, 18th, 2007 at 2:34 am
Les carottes, je les adore déjà au naturel mais alors avec les épices, je pense que cette soupe me plairait beaucoup !
Je pense essayer ça prochainement, la météo du moment s’y prête d’ailleurs tout à fait !
Merci Béa !
Amicalement blog,
Ingrid
Comment by Ingrid — On January, 18th, 2007 at 2:35 am
J’ai tout à coup un grand besoin de réconfort!!
Comment by Mayacook — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:03 am
J’opte sans hésiter pour cette soupe épaisse et parfumée !
Comment by eva — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:09 am
Et bien rien que de lire le titre, j’avais déjà l’eau à la bouche…cela doit etre la recette ultime pour une soupe de carotte. Bravo
Amitiés
Claude
Comment by Claude-Olivier — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:23 am
cardamome, pistache et coriandre, quelle mélodie des saveurs!! je suis sous le charme!
Comment by Alhya — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:41 am
I love carrots, too (as well as beetroots, that is:) My dad doesn’t though.. Carrot soup with pistachios sounds intriguing – need to stock up on those nuts soon!
Comment by Pille — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:44 am
J’adore ce genre de soupe, trés parfumée et très colorée!
Comment by chantal33 — On January, 18th, 2007 at 3:55 am
I lolve your new layout! Carrots are sooooo good, I add them to everything and eat them raw when ever I can. Carrot juice is good to add to rice with broth to add flavor and color.
This photo looks so inviting, I love the big hunk of bread in the background. Your photos get more and more fabulous each day!
Comment by Riana — On January, 18th, 2007 at 4:22 am
Tout simplement parfaite!
Comment by Gracianne — On January, 18th, 2007 at 6:21 am
Bea,
I love carrots, too. The flavor, the stunning color, everything. I used to eat a lot of raw carrots when I was a kid. I just asked my mom to give me a carrot and she would do so.
I posted a grated carrot “farofa” yesterday, I think you would like it.
Comment by Patricia Scarpin — On January, 18th, 2007 at 7:13 am
It is getting cold over here, your recipe is so timely. It looks so very yummy…
Comment by Veron — On January, 18th, 2007 at 10:48 am
Thank you all. Hope you like it if you happen to make it!
Comment by Béa — On January, 18th, 2007 at 11:51 am
I love carrot soup, but have never thought to put cardamom or coriander in it. Excellant idea. As always.
:)
Comment by sher — On January, 19th, 2007 at 1:19 am
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