Crafting Soup: Part Three

Where Carrot and Coriander soup gives us an important life lesson

Coriander is divisive. You either love it or you hate. But often the hate comes from the fact that it’s not used correctly and overpowers everything.

It’s a bit like yarn crafting. There’s always that one element you really don’t like. For some it’s as simple as they hate weaving in their ends or a certain type of stitch. For others it’s overly complicated patterns when all they want is something relaxing and comforting to create. Some just hate blocking their work once they’ve cast off. And whilst overly complicated patterns are an acquired taste, everything else can enhance our crafting and to a certain extent our general well being.

Because after all the act of crafting and the sense of achievement we feel for a job well done is good for the soul. It’s only when we do too much of something that it becomes a bind. Just like adding too much coriander to a dish turns it into a pungent, soapy mess! But hit the right amount and everything marries together beautifully.

And this is why I’ve always struggled when I’ve attempted to make Carrot and Coriander soup because as much as I actually like coriander, there was always

too much. I’d add stocks and different vegetables to even out some of the recipes I’d tried, but nothing was quite right.

But then one day, whilst at the supermarket, I noticed the discount section was full of wonky carrots. Why people don’t like using ugly veg is beyond me, but it did mean that I picked up 2kg of carrots for £0.30. What do you do with a whole load of misshapen, oversized carrots? Well it was raining so the answer was pretty easy. I’d make soup and feeling brave I thought I’d add some coriander. And it was on this attempt that I finally got it right! The key: Less is more. An important lesson in so many things.

So here it is, my simple four ingredient (well seven if you include water, salt and pepper) Carrot and Coriander soup!

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Carrot and Coriander Soup

Wonky Carrots, Fresh Coriander and Parsley, Soured Cream

8 servings or 4 depending on the size of your mugs!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes or until the carrots are starting to break down.

Serving suggestion: Warm, buttered bread of your choice.

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Ingredients:

2 kg carrots

2 sprigs of fresh parsley roughing chopped

8 large coriander leaves with extra for garnish or just pumping up the coriander flavour if you wish

Water: enough to cover the carrots in the pot

150ml soured cream or vegan alternative.

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

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Method:

1. Scrub or peel carrots and chop into 1 inch chunks

2. Add the parsley and coriander leaves

3. Add the ingredients to a large saucepan with enough cold water cover the carrots

4. Bring the pan to the boil for 10 minutes, and leaving uncovered turn down to a simmer until the carrots start to break down when you prod them. This gives you a very clean flavoured stock to blitz the carrots into.

5. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blitz the carrots down to the desired consistency (personally I don’t like it too smooth, but you do it how you prefer)

6. Add the soured cream (or alternative) and stir until fully incorporated.

7. Test for seasoning. You will need a little salt and pepper, but I’ve found it to be less than you’d think.

8. Serve and add more coriander as a garnish if required. Although there isn’t much added to the soup initially, the use of parsley seems to enhance the flavour of the more pungent herb and gives a lovely earthy hint of coriander that doesn’t need much more. By adding it as a garnish you can test the base flavour and add as much as you like. Serve with the warm bread of your choosing.

   

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Leftovers:

This soup will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge or a month in the freezer. Just make sure it is defrosted before you reheat and make sure it is piping hot (without boiling) before serving.

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I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you added/took out to make this soup your own. And I hope you’ll join me in a couple of weeks for the next soup in this series which will be the (much promised) simplest spicy parsnip soup you ever did make.

Until next time…

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