I was originally saving this soup recipe for the cooler weather but hey, it’s Autumn in Melbourne now and seeing as I love soup in any weather anyway, I’ve decided to share it (especially as I’ve been doing some planning and don’t have a whole lot of new recipes ready to go).
The best thing about this soup, for me, is that I almost always have all of the ingredients in the house. The fresh coriander on top is delicious, but it can be left out (chilli flakes or sauce is also yummy), and if you don’t keep fresh ginger in the house that might change if, like me, you learn that keeping a knob in the freezer and just grated off what you need on a micro-plane (skin and all, it’s fine!) is an option.
(….. I found learning I could freeze ginger life changing but at the risk of this freezing ginger business actually being news to no one, I’ll play down just how excited I was learning this a few years ago).
CARROT & POTATO SOUP
Ingredients;
- 3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 large (or 8 small) carrots, peeled and sliced into thick disks
- 1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- A bunch of fresh coriander, stems removed and roughly chopped (if you’re a coriander hater, you can leave it out, but it really is so delicious with it!)
- 2 tbsp of cumin powder
- 3 cups of vegetable stock (chicken stock also works well, as does water if you have no stock – you’ll just want extra seasoning at the end).
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- Greek yoghurt or sour cream, to serve
Method;
1. In a medium saucepan, add the olive oil, garlic, ginger and coriander stems and cook on a medium heat until fragrant.
2. Add the cumin powder, carrots and potatoes and stir for 30 seconds to coat.
3. Add all of the stock and bring to the boil.
4 Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender (a skewer should go through both with no resistance).
5. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before blending.
6. Season to taste and serve with Greek yoghurt or sour cream, and fresh coriander leaves on top.
How I serve this to my 2yo;
He used to love soup and when he did, I used to add some red lentils to this recipe (with some extra stock) for protein and serve it with buttery toast soldiers. Red lentils are a great addition anyway for a more filling soup for everyone.
Now that soup is no longer and acceptable meal, I pull out some of the carrot and potato before blending, chop it up and serve it with butter toast and a protein (usually a boiled egg) and a little of the soup as ‘sauce’. I always pop some fresh coriander, usually a long stem, on the plate too – he occasionally picks it up for a bite, but rarely twice in the same sitting.
PS. It freezes really well so I love to make this one as a part of a batch cook on a weekend (also a great soup to batch cook for someone in need and, without the yoghurt on top, it’s gluten free and vegan).
Nat x