55 Min

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Carrot Soup

Eating local and organic at home and at the restaurant has become a commitment I take seriously. But I do buy a few things at supermarkets. Carrots are one of them — raw carrots or roasted carrots with cumin and olive oil make great snacks, or can be added into a stir-fry or pilaf.

My first memory of carrots comes from a middle school teacher who was obsessed with the health benefits of carrots and ate so many in a day (and passed them out to her students), her skin was tinged with an orange hue. Knowing the power of beta carotene and vitamins carrots possess, I eat my fair share, and we find plenty of uses for carrots at the restaurant.

This smooth and creamy soup is supremely simple to make as we drift into the autumn season. If you do not have asafetida, which is a natural spice that mimics the flavor of onions and garlic, slice a few cloves of garlic instead.

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Cook Time

55 Minutes

Serves

6

Directions

Step 1

Peel the carrots and cut them into large chunks. In a large stockpot, combine with 3 cups of water, ginger, mace, chile, turmeric, and salt. Over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the soup rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Step 2

Using a blender, purée the entire contents of the soup along with the coconut milk. Pour back into the stockpot and simmer for another 5 minutes to bring all the flavors together.

Step 3

In a small frying pan over high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and add the asafetida. It will sizzle a bit; immediately turn the heat off and stir into the carrot soup.

Step 4

Serve garnished with fresh mint leaves, more chili powder, if desired, and a slight drizzle of melted coconut oil.  

Notes & Variations

When cooking with asafetida, make sure it does not burn or it will turn the soup bitter. If it burns or turns black, discard and start over.
Add shrimp, chunks of fish or lobster to the soup after it has been puréed and cook just until the seafood has cooked through.
For an even brighter color, add half a small beet to the soup, but be careful not to overcook it. Unlike carrots, the color of beets will fade with cooking.

Ingredients

1 pound organic carrots

2-inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon ground red chile, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 can coconut milk

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Pinch of asafetida

A few mint sprigs for garnish

Step 1

Step 2

Using a blender, purée the entire contents of the soup along with the coconut milk. Pour back into the stockpot and simmer for another 5 minutes to bring all the flavors together.

Step 3

In a small frying pan over high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and add the asafetida. It will sizzle a bit; immediately turn the heat off and stir into the carrot soup.

Step 4

Serve garnished with fresh mint leaves, more chili powder, if desired, and a slight drizzle of melted coconut oil.  

1 pound organic carrots

2-inch piece of ginger

1 teaspoon ground mace

1 teaspoon ground red chile, plus more for garnish

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 can coconut milk

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Pinch of asafetida

A few mint sprigs for garnish

Notes & Variations

When cooking with asafetida, make sure it does not burn or it will turn the soup bitter. If it burns or turns black, discard and start over.
Add shrimp, chunks of fish or lobster to the soup after it has been puréed and cook just until the seafood has cooked through.
For an even brighter color, add half a small beet to the soup, but be careful not to overcook it. Unlike carrots, the color of beets will fade with cooking.

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55 Min

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Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

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55 Min

Stock Your Pantry

Aromatic Masala Dabba

$250

A handmade spice box containing chai masala, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, whole black peppercorns, whole green cardamom pods with a few black cardamom pods, garam masala, mace pods and nutmeg.

Essential Masala Dabba

$235

A handmade spice box containing red chile, turmeric, black pepper, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, amchur and garam masala.

ONE WORD: CARROTS.

There's so many ways to eat them, try out the recipes below!

TWO WORDS: SO GOOD.

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This soup, with a spice infusion and a pop thrown in for good measure, is soul satisfying in the middle of a cold winter!

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