What's Up, Doc?
How many times have you bought a vegetable at a farmers market or grocery store with good intentions of making something fabulous and forgotten all about it?
That's what happened to me yesterday when I opened my fruit drawer. I had sadly forgotten about the two bunches of carrots that were hiding down there. Did you catch the fruit drawer part? Thank goodness there's not a lot of fruit available in the stores these days or where would I have put all those carrots?
Anyway, I knew the only thing I could make that would "immediately make the carrots disappear from the fridge" was a soup. A lovely carrot soup. A bright orange soup that looks like Spring in a bowl.
It seems whenever I want to get rid of something, I just cook it with some other veggies, cover it with a combination of broth and water, puree, season and voila! Why not? In less than 30 minutes, you've got a fabulously nutritious soup and an empty drawer in the fridge. Perfect. I can sleep now.
When I told David I was making a carrot soup, he contorted his face and asked "Why?" I immediately started laughing and said, "Because I had two bunches of carrots that I needed to use. That's why!"
If you could have seen the look on his face when he asked, "Why?" And then if you could have seen the look on his face when he took his first bite of the soup. That is one of the things I love most about cooking. The surprise reaction you get when you surpass someone's taste expectations.
If it's good enough to impress David, it's good enough to impress your loved ones, too. So go on, impress them.
Buen provecho!
Carrot Soup
The Cowgirl Gourmet (http://www.thecowgirlgourmet.blogspot.com/)
Print recipe
This is a great way to use up a bunch of carrots or just to get your family to eat their veggies. You could easily replace the carrots for zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli of whatever veggies you have in the fridge.
Serves 4-6
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery with the leaves, diced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and more to taste when serving
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into coins
2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
2 cups water
Greek yogurt, plain, for garnish
Chives, finely chopped, for garnish
In a soup pot over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil and when it's hot, add the onion and stir to coat. Let cook for about 2 minutes and then add the celery. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the vegetables, a few grinds of black pepper and stir to combine. Let vegetables saute until wilted, about 3-5 minutes, and then add the carrot coins. Stir well.
Pour the vegetable broth and water in with the vegetables and stir. Once the soup boils, turn the heat to medium and simmer 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
Using a blender or an immersion blender, puree the soup and then pour it back into the pot. When ready to serve, reheat and taste. Add a little more salt, pepper and/or water or broth to thin the soup out, if necessary.
That's what happened to me yesterday when I opened my fruit drawer. I had sadly forgotten about the two bunches of carrots that were hiding down there. Did you catch the fruit drawer part? Thank goodness there's not a lot of fruit available in the stores these days or where would I have put all those carrots?
Anyway, I knew the only thing I could make that would "immediately make the carrots disappear from the fridge" was a soup. A lovely carrot soup. A bright orange soup that looks like Spring in a bowl.
It seems whenever I want to get rid of something, I just cook it with some other veggies, cover it with a combination of broth and water, puree, season and voila! Why not? In less than 30 minutes, you've got a fabulously nutritious soup and an empty drawer in the fridge. Perfect. I can sleep now.
 |
| I even had a nice family of carrots... see the dad in the middle, Mom and the three kids? |
When I told David I was making a carrot soup, he contorted his face and asked "Why?" I immediately started laughing and said, "Because I had two bunches of carrots that I needed to use. That's why!"
If you could have seen the look on his face when he asked, "Why?" And then if you could have seen the look on his face when he took his first bite of the soup. That is one of the things I love most about cooking. The surprise reaction you get when you surpass someone's taste expectations.
If it's good enough to impress David, it's good enough to impress your loved ones, too. So go on, impress them.
Buen provecho!
 |
| Pureed carrot soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt and fresh chives |
Carrot Soup
The Cowgirl Gourmet (http://www.thecowgirlgourmet.blogspot.com/)
Print recipe
This is a great way to use up a bunch of carrots or just to get your family to eat their veggies. You could easily replace the carrots for zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli of whatever veggies you have in the fridge.
Serves 4-6
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery with the leaves, diced
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, and more to taste when serving
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into coins
2 cups vegetable broth, low sodium
2 cups water
Greek yogurt, plain, for garnish
Chives, finely chopped, for garnish
In a soup pot over medium-high heat, pour the olive oil and when it's hot, add the onion and stir to coat. Let cook for about 2 minutes and then add the celery. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt over the vegetables, a few grinds of black pepper and stir to combine. Let vegetables saute until wilted, about 3-5 minutes, and then add the carrot coins. Stir well.
 |
| Carrot coins |
Pour the vegetable broth and water in with the vegetables and stir. Once the soup boils, turn the heat to medium and simmer 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
Using a blender or an immersion blender, puree the soup and then pour it back into the pot. When ready to serve, reheat and taste. Add a little more salt, pepper and/or water or broth to thin the soup out, if necessary.
Pour soup into bowls, place a dollop of thick Greek yogurt in the center and garnish with fresh chives, a pinch of Maldon salt and more fresh pepper.
.JPG)
Comments