Carrot and Cilantro Soup

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Love, love, love this dish! This soup has the simplest and most inexpensive ingredients of any recipe I have prepared thus far but it is absolutely delicious in its simplicity. This is once again, a recipe I found in Country Living Magazine. I am quickly being proven wrong about the content of the magazine. I am going to jump right into the recipe before I provide further comment. I am also including the cost breakdown that was presented with the recipe. I have never provided cost prior to this but since the magazine included the information, I thought I would pass it on.

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped $0.40

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed $5.14 (this is cost for the entire jar of seeds)

1 pound carrots, sliced $0.91

3 cups vegetable stock $2.79

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1 cup) plus more for garnish $1.06

Total: $10.30

Per Serving: $2.58

In a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add onion and coriander. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until onion is softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots. Cook covered, until softened, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In separate pot, bring stock to boil. (I used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock). Add onion-carrot mixture and bring back up to a boil. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend in batches if needed, until smooth. Season with sea salt. To serve, return soup to pot, stir in chopped cilantro and reheat on low. Ladle soup into warmed bowls and garnish with cilantro.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

Tonight is my maiden voyage eating carrot soup and it is fabulous! Who would have thunk? The flavor is sweet and light and the texture is perfection. The flavor combination of carrot, onion, coriander and stock is complex even though it sounds as if it would be quite basic. If given the chance, I would eat this soup every day and twice on Sunday. It would be lovely as an appetizer for a dinner party or even served chilled. Tonight I served it with one of our favorite sandwiches from my cooking project; the Turkey Sandwich with Hoisin Mayonnaise. When I prepared this sandwich a few weeks ago, I followed the recipe which called for mint but tonight, I exchanged the mint for cilantro. Adding cilantro to the sandwich made it partner with the soup beautifully. Not a bad combo if I do say so myself. I highly recommend making this soup; even if like Brad, you do not normally like cooked carrots. You will be pleasantly surprised, just as he was surprised.