Carrot Soup

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Persistence is an act of faith, as one never persists without faith!

A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body.”      – Benjamin Franklin

Inspirations from an orange-coloured recipe…

During Ramadan we seem very focused on the movement of the sun. When it rises we stop eating, and when it sets we break the fast. It is said that the true colour of the sun is Orange. According to Colour Therapy theories, the colour orange has a freeing property that tends to free the body and the mind inducing a higher mental response. At sunset, we tend to find ourselves feeling things more deeply. It is therefore advisable that if you meditate or contemplate to do so at sunset and sunrise, as the hues elevate your mental responses and perceptions. If you are looking to boost your creativity and focus, then do use the colour orange. By gazing at the colour orange you encourage your creative abilities to rise to the surface.

 

Well, keeping with this spirit – and in terms of food – it does not get more orange than in a carrot soup!

Carrot soup is one of the most basic soups you can ever cook up. However, the carrot soup with its velvety texture is superb and a very comforting way to start a meal after a long day’s fast. You can have it plain focusing only on the flavours of the carrots or you can add aromatics such as ginger, which goes very well with the flavour of carrots, or tamarind water the sourness of which balances the sweetness of the carrots. You can even go for a carrot and rosemary flavour which I find to be a match made in heaven, especially if assisted by the earth tones of beef stock. Goodness! Whatever you do with this soup, it somehow comes out fab every time.

Here is how it’s made….

PS I have also included for you a video recipe of another decadent soup from my book Plated Heirlooms, the Kofta balls and barley soup, watch and make this soup you will be glad you did 🙂

Ingredients

  • 3 cups Beef Broth or chicken Broth
  • 1 medium potato, peeled and roughly chopped
  • ½ Kg carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp raw honey
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • Parsley, finely chopped for garnish
  • 1 tbsp DS Premium Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • DS Himalayan Pink Salt to Taste
  • Black pepper to Taste

 

In a large saucepan, melt the butter, then add the carrots, potatoes & onions. Stir to coat, sprinkle with salt & black pepper and stir to incorporate. Reduce the heat and let cook for a further 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the broth then bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and let cook for a further 15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and blend till smooth (you can push the soup through a colander in order to keep a bit of texture instead of blending till very smooth).

In a small skillet, cook the crushed garlic and chopped parsley in the olive oil, until wilted. Use to garnish the top of the soup.

You can place a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche at the centre of the soup for added flavour and creaminess.
Serve hot.

 

This recipe is from the repertoire of over 280 recipes in my book Plated Heirlooms. The book contains recipes from all sections of the Palestinian cuisine, starting with Mooneh (pantry recipes) to dessert and everything in between. Plated Heirlooms is a documentation of recipes and cuisine rationale as well as the compiled story of the cuisine.

All Plated Heirlooms recipes come with background information and thorough descriptions that in the end tie up with the rest of the book’s narrative to explain to you the formation and makings of Palestinian cuisine.

You can order “Plated Heirlooms” here and we will ship it to you anywhere in the world.

 

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