Carrot and Cumin Soup

We recently had the good fortune to explore Paris as well as small towns in Normandy for a few days. During our travels we saw chalkboards at many cafés and brasseries advertising each day’s specials. Because of the chilly weather, we frequently spotted eateries offering “soupe de légumes maison,” or homemade vegetable soup. Today as the snow piled up outside our home, I thought I would try my own version of a homemade vegetable soup, a spiced carrot soup featuring bright colors and warm flavors.

Inspiration and change

The inspiration for this recipe comes from a 2006 issue of Bon Appétit that celebrated the magazine’s 50^th anniversary. That month’s “Fast Easy Fresh” column highlighted several quick dishes that had been featured over the years. A carrot and caraway soup, spiked at the end with a dash of aquavit—a caraway-flavored liqueur—was part of that collection. It was simple to prepare and ready in just over 30 minutes.

Since my pantry didn’t have caraway seeds in the spice rack or aquavit in the liquor cabinet, I started brainstorming about other spices I could use that would pair well with carrots. Taking some hints from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, I turned to cumin as an alternative to caraway. Madison also suggested a few other spices as well as using a bit of white rice during the cooking stage to help the soup puree smoothly.

Simple ingredients and steps

The ingredients for the soup are staples I have in my pantry and refrigerator pretty regularly—carrots, onions, parsley, rice, and stock. (I used chicken stock, as the Bon Appétit version had, but you could easily substitute vegetable broth or water instead.)  I read that oftentimes large carrots—the ones that look like they’re for a horse to feast on—are the sweetest. I had picked up a pound at the grocery store recently and soon they were peeled and sliced and ready to go.

I began by toasting the cumin seeds.  I wanted to use most of them to flavor the soup as it cooked, but put aside a few to sprinkle on top as a garnish before serving.

To get the soup going, I sautéd the onions in a mixture of butter and oil for a few minutes. This mellowed the flavor of the onions and was worth an extra five minutes. Next the carrots, parsley, rice, and a bay leaf went in. After a while, I added spices to the mixture—whole toasted cumin seeds, paprika, and a bit of cardamom. Once the spices bloomed, chicken stock went in and simmered for a while. All of the flavors of the aromatic onion, herbs, and spices permeated the broth while the rice and carrots became tender.

Once everything was cooked, I used an immersion blender to puree the soup. In just a minute or two, the soup had taken on the consistency of rough velvet.

Final touches

Before serving, I added the juice of one orange to brighten the flavors of the carrots. Then I sprinkled a few toasted cumin seeds and a bit of parsley on top.

In our bowls we found the subtle sweetness of the carrots rounded out by the warmth of the cumin and other spices.  The orange juice provided just the right bright note to each spoonful.  Served with a baguette, we had “une spécialité de la maison” to nourish us as it warmed us up.

Carrot and Cumin Soup

Dawn Dobie

Brightly colored and full of flavor, this carrot soup flavored with cumin and other spices brings a warm note to the dinner table.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil --like grapeseed or sunflower
• 1 onion chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt divided—see below
• 1 pound carrots peeled and sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons white rice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds divided -- see below
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
• 1 orange --juiced
• additional minced parsley

Instructions

 

• Place small skillet over medium heat and add cumin seeds. Toast for 1-2 minutes moving seeds around frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat and transfer seeds to small bowl. Set aside.
• Heat butter and oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add carrots, rice, parsley, and bay leaf to onions. Sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add 1 teaspoon of the cumin seeds, along with paprika, coriander, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper to the carrot mixture. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Pour broth (or water) over carrot mixture and raise heat beneath the saucepan to high. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove saucepan from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the carrot mixture to a texture that you like. (You can also carefully transfer the carrot mixture to a stand-alone blender and puree it that way. Make sure to leave a vent in the top for steam to escape.)
• Taste to see if more salt or pepper is needed. Before serving, add the orange juice to the pureed soup and stir well. If desired, garnish each bowl with parsley and remaining whole cumin seeds.

Notes

The soup can be made one day ahead and refrigerated after it has been blended and cooled. Rewarm the soup, thinning with water if needed. Add orange juice just before serving.

Ground cumin can be used instead of whole seeds. Omit the step of toasting the spice and reduce the amount to 1 teaspoon.

Adapted from recipes in Bon Appétit (Oct 2006) and Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.