Description
Inspired by a soup served at The Placid Baker in Troy.
*Only peel the carrots if they are especially dirty. My CSA carrots, even with a good scrubbing, must be peeled before using. Post peeling and trimming, my carrots weigh around 1.5 lbs.
If you don’ have curry powder on hand or don’t feel like buying it, you could probably get away with this mix: 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon ground or whole coriander, 2 teaspoons ground or whole cumin, 1/2 teaspoon paprika. If using whole spices, toast first in a dry skillet, then crush with a mortar and pestle.
Ingredients
- 1.5–1.75 pounds carrots, washed well and unpeeled*, see notes above
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste, divided
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 small onions, finely diced to yield 2 cups
- 4–5 stalks celery, finely diced to yield a heaping cup
- a small knob ginger, peeled, and minced to yield 2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon coriander seed or ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon curry powder, such as Madras
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425ºF. Trim the root end off each carrot. Roughly chop the carrots into 2-inch pieces. Cut lengthwise through the carrots at the thicker parts. Transfer carrots to a rimmed sheet pan. (I line mine with parchment paper, because they are in bad shape.) Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Transfer pan to oven and roast for 25 minutes or until edges begin to caramelize in places.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat with the onions, celery, and ginger. As soon as you hear a sizzle, turn the heat down to low, season with a pinch of salt, stir, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove lid every so often, letting the condensation drip back into the pot, to check on the vegetables; stir to be sure the vegetables aren’t sticking or browning — the goal here is to get the vegetables soft, not to brown them (though a little browning is fine).
- If you are using whole coriander seeds, toast in a small skillet until fragrant and beginning to brown. Use a mortar and pestle to grind them into a fine powder. Once the onions, celery, and ginger have cooked for 15 minutes, add the coriander, curry powder, and turmeric. Stir to combine.
- Add the roasted carrots and the can of coconut milk. Fill up the empty can with water and add to the pot. Do this once more. Add the remaining teaspoon kosher salt. Bring to a simmer. Use an immersion blender to purée until smooth. Alternatively transfer to a food processor and purée in batches.
- Taste. Adjust taste as desired. Simmer to thicken if necessary; add more water if too thick.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: baked, sauté
- Cuisine: Indian