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Though I enjoy carrots all year round, there’s something about spring that makes me think of this soup. Perhaps it’s the bright orange color, or the fact that I often associate carrots with bunnies, which makes me think of Easter, which makes me think of spring. The bottom line is that I love this soup and it works during many different seasons.
All credit for this recipe goes to Alice Waters and her amazing cookbook The Art of Simple Food.
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It is a perfect cookbook, one everyone should have. I’m sharing her recipe here because a) I love it and b) to hopefully convince people to go out and buy/borrow this book. I really do love it that much.
Anyway, as for the recipe. As for most of Alice’s recipes, it allows for many variations. This is my variation:
In a large stock pot, melt:
3 tablespoons of butter
Add:
2 medium onions, sliced
Sauté for at least 10 minutes. This builds a ton of flavor. If you have fresh thyme, add that as well. Then add:
about 6 cups of sliced carrots.
Season with salt.
Sauté for another 5 minutes to build more flavor. Then add:
6 cups of homemade vegetable broth, or a combination of broth and water.
Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the carrots are tender, puree the soup and season with salt, if needed. (Also add more liquid if the soup is too thick for your personal taste.)
For garnishes:
Alice gives many variations. My favorite combinations, so far:
mascarpone cheese, stirred into each bowl, or plain Greek yogurt
homemade croutons*
chives
freshly ground black pepper
This soup is so simple, yet so sweet and buttery. It is a refreshing soup even on a hot summer day.
Enjoy!
*How to make homemade croutons:
For this soup, I kept the croutons simple. I often put garlic and herbs on my croutons, but since this soup has such a delicate flavor, I didn’t want to overpower it with over-seasoned croutons. You can use any kind of bread, but for this soup, I loved the flavor of whole wheat bread.
Cut whole wheat bread into cubes, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and bake for about 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven, or until they are nice and brown.