There's something very comforting about Carrot and Coriander Soup, and it's an absolute joy to eat on a cold winters day.
Because carrots are a very good source of dietary fibre they create a wonderfully thick texture when they're blended: perfect for a winter warmer.
Don't hesitate to add a pinch of sugar to the soup, it helps to bring out the flavour of the carrots.
Carrot and coriander soup recipe: -
Prep time: 8 minutes - Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
1lb 5oz(600g) of carrots 5oz(150g) of celery 1 medium onion, sliced 1½ pints(30 fl-oz) of vegetable stock Zest of 1 orange ½ tsp of ground coriander 1 good pinch of sugar 1 cup(8 fl-oz) of semi-skimmed milk at room temperature 1 bunch of fresh coriander, chopped Chopped celery leaves for garnish
First wash and lightly peel the carrots then cut them into 2cm dice. Then wash the celery and cut them also into 2cm dice, saving the inner leaves for garnish.
Take a large saucepan preferably one with a thick bottom and tall sides and place it over a low light. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and heat it through.
Then add the sliced onion and sweat it over a low heat with the lid on for 5 minutes until soft. Then add the carrots, celery, orange zest & ground coriander and combine briefly then sweat for a further 5 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid occasionally to check that the vegetables aren't catching or colouring.
Remove the lid and then add the chicken stock, pinch of sugar and some seasoning; bring to the boil then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer half-covered for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender, then add the milk to the soup and combine.
Allow the soup to cool considerably for several minutes then carefully transfer it in batches into a food processor. Blend until smooth then return to a clean pan.
Next add the chopped coriander to the soup and simmer gently to warm through, check the seasoning and alter if required.
Then serve your carrot and coriander soup with some French bread, and garnish with chopped celery leaves.
Safety advice:
It’s advisable to allow soup to cool considerably before blending it in a food processor. When the liquid has cooled for a few minutes it can be blended in batches. It’s advisable not to fill the food processor above halfway when doing this.
