Coriander & Carrot Soup Recipe: Simple And Tasty.

This is a great carrot soup recipe and a real crowd pleaser.

It sounds obvious but when you are making carrot soup at home, it will only be as good as the carrots you use so I always try to use the freshest I can find, home grown or from a farmers' market if possible.

If you are buying from the supermarket and you don't usually buy organic, I think this is the time to make an exception.

Ingredients:

900g/2 pounds of carrots (about 6 cups, diced or 4 large carrots)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 large white onions, roughly chopped
3 teaspoons of coriander seeds, roughly crushed
2 tablespoons of split red lentils
1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups of vegetable stock
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
salt and pepper

Method:

1.There's no need to peel the carrots. Just scrub them well and chop them into large chunks.

2. Pour the olive oil into a large heavy pot or saucepan and heat over a low temperature.

3. Very, very gently saute the onions and carrots with the lid on for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. This stage of the soup is crucial so don't rush it.  Cooking the vegetables nice and slowly draws out their juices and ensures that your soup is full of flavour. A good heavy based pot will help this process too. If you have one, a good cast iron pot is always worth using for soup.

4. When the carrots and onions are softened, stir in the crushed coriander seeds and cook for a minute or two.

5. Pour in the stock and lentils, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15-20 minutes.

6. Puree the carrot soup using a food processor or hand blender. Return to the pot and stir in the fresh coriander (cilantro).

7. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

This carrot soup recipe will serve 4-6 people. It's delicious served with warm soda bread.

 

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