Creamy Carrot Soup
Experimenting with food gives me a chance to learn something new every day. I’ve been playing around with a carrot soup recipe for over a year, adding or taking away ingredients each time I whipped up a batch. The goal was to come up with a rich, creamy carrot soup, so my original recipe included half-and-half. I didn’t add diary the last few times I prepared the soup using a new method. The result? A silky soup sans the bloat. For those who can’t live without dairy, this soup pairs nicely with a cheddar grilled cheese sandwich.
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
5 cups chopped carrots
2 1/2 cups chopped celery stalk
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 cups cold water
4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons nutmeg
In a Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and stir.
Add carrots and stir for a few seconds. Add broth and water and turn up to high heat. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium. Cook until ingredients are tender for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and nutmeg and stir.
Using a ladle, transfer soup in batches to a blender and puree until smooth, about 3 minutes. Carefully pour into bowls. For leftovers, store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
