Recipe: Vaguely Thai-Style Carrot Soup
Mar. 4th, 2009 09:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coraaMade this today, and it was pretty tasty -- very flavorful. We had it with drop biscuits (recipe out of Cook's Illustrated), which are one of my favorite quick side-dishes ever. It's also a good use for carrots that are getting a bit elderly, or that are a funny shape -- since they're going to be cooked totally soft and pureed, shape and crunch don't matter much.
It's also a very pretty shade of orange.
Vaguely Thai-Style Carrot Soup
For two, with leftovers. Not vegetarian by default, but it would be easy to vegetarian-ize it; see ingredient list.
I don't bother to peel my carrots, and I don't bother to peel my potatoes either if I'm using a thinner-skinned variety like Yukon Gold, given that I'm going to puree the whole thing at the end anyway. (I do peel russets.) If you want to peel your veggies, go ahead; if not, just give them a good scrub. Cut the carrots, potatoes and onions into big, rough pieces (again, since you're going to puree, shape doesn't matter).
Peel and mince the ginger. I have been much happier with the task of peeling ginger ever since I heard the tip to use the edge and tip of a spoon to peel it than a vegetable peeler or knife. Anyway, peel it and mince it pretty fine.
Put a slosh of vegetable oil in the bottom of a good-sized soup pot. (How much? Enough to keep your veg from sticking and burning. So it's going to depend on how wide your soup pot is.) Heat it over medium heat, and add the vegetables, plus the chopped lemongrass if you have it. Give it a good stir, sprinkle with salt and red pepper (or regular black pepper if red is too spicy for you), and turn the heat down to medium-low to sweat. Let it cook like that, stirring once in a wihle, for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are good and soft.
Add the stock or water. I used a pretty strong garlic broth, but any vegetable broth or even water will work. Hell, low-sodium chicken broth will also work, if you aren't going for vegetarian. Bring the temperature up enough that the whole pot is at a simmer, and let it simmer gently for another 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are quite tender.
Now you need to puree it. I use an immersion blender, which is perfect for the job. If you don't have one, you can use a regular blender instead, although be careful -- blending hot soup is kind of dangerous. I'd let it cool a bit, and then puree in batches, holding the blender lid in place with a dishtowel. If you don't have any kind of blender, you can use a potato masher; the result just won't be quite as smooth.
Stir in the coconut milk, the juice of half a lime (or a whole lime if you didn't use lemongrass), and a splash of Thai fish sauce or soy sauce to taste. Give the soup a taste. If it tastes like it could use a bit of sweetness, stir in a spoonful or two of sugar.
Ladle into bowls, top with cilantro or parsley, and serve.
(Had I had a jar of Thai curry paste, I would have added a spoonful of that, too, but I'm all out. If you have any rattling around your fridge, I'd recommend adding a tablespoon of that right before pureeing.)
(Also, had I thought of it, I would have stirred a spoonful or two of peanut butter in at the end. But I didn't. Oh well!)
It's also a very pretty shade of orange.
Vaguely Thai-Style Carrot Soup
For two, with leftovers. Not vegetarian by default, but it would be easy to vegetarian-ize it; see ingredient list.
- 1 lb carrots
- 1/2 medium onion
- 1 small-to-medium potato (Russet or Yukon Gold is good -- a low-starch potato like Red Bliss, less so)
- a good-sized knob of ginger, say about 2-3 inches long
- a slosh of vegetable oil
- 3-4 tablespoons chopped lemongrass (or add more lime juice at the end)
- salt
- cayenne or other spicy red pepper (optional)
- 1 qt vegetable stock or water
- a splash of Thai fish sauce, or, for the vegetarian option, soy sauce
- 1/2 can (so, what, a little bit less than a cup?) coconut milk (regular or light)
- juice of 1/2 lime
- sugar (optional)
- parsley or cilantro (for garnish)
I don't bother to peel my carrots, and I don't bother to peel my potatoes either if I'm using a thinner-skinned variety like Yukon Gold, given that I'm going to puree the whole thing at the end anyway. (I do peel russets.) If you want to peel your veggies, go ahead; if not, just give them a good scrub. Cut the carrots, potatoes and onions into big, rough pieces (again, since you're going to puree, shape doesn't matter).
Peel and mince the ginger. I have been much happier with the task of peeling ginger ever since I heard the tip to use the edge and tip of a spoon to peel it than a vegetable peeler or knife. Anyway, peel it and mince it pretty fine.
Put a slosh of vegetable oil in the bottom of a good-sized soup pot. (How much? Enough to keep your veg from sticking and burning. So it's going to depend on how wide your soup pot is.) Heat it over medium heat, and add the vegetables, plus the chopped lemongrass if you have it. Give it a good stir, sprinkle with salt and red pepper (or regular black pepper if red is too spicy for you), and turn the heat down to medium-low to sweat. Let it cook like that, stirring once in a wihle, for about 15 minutes, or until the onions are good and soft.
Add the stock or water. I used a pretty strong garlic broth, but any vegetable broth or even water will work. Hell, low-sodium chicken broth will also work, if you aren't going for vegetarian. Bring the temperature up enough that the whole pot is at a simmer, and let it simmer gently for another 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are quite tender.
Now you need to puree it. I use an immersion blender, which is perfect for the job. If you don't have one, you can use a regular blender instead, although be careful -- blending hot soup is kind of dangerous. I'd let it cool a bit, and then puree in batches, holding the blender lid in place with a dishtowel. If you don't have any kind of blender, you can use a potato masher; the result just won't be quite as smooth.
Stir in the coconut milk, the juice of half a lime (or a whole lime if you didn't use lemongrass), and a splash of Thai fish sauce or soy sauce to taste. Give the soup a taste. If it tastes like it could use a bit of sweetness, stir in a spoonful or two of sugar.
Ladle into bowls, top with cilantro or parsley, and serve.
(Had I had a jar of Thai curry paste, I would have added a spoonful of that, too, but I'm all out. If you have any rattling around your fridge, I'd recommend adding a tablespoon of that right before pureeing.)
(Also, had I thought of it, I would have stirred a spoonful or two of peanut butter in at the end. But I didn't. Oh well!)