10.29.13 Curried Carrot Soup
It’s almost Halloween. And we all know that means it’s time for some serious scary movie watching. Up until last year, I will say that our Halloween movie collection was pretty much the worst. It consisted of a total of two movies - the least scary Halloween movie ever (Young Frankenstein) and the most scary Halloween movie ever (The Exorcist). Great movies but nonetheless, we were always presented a difficult decision when choosing what to watch - end up not scared at all, or so scared you won’t sleep for 3 days?
At last, this year, we finally got a few more movies to round out the collection. Less scary than Exorcist, more scary than Frankenstein (that would be pretty much any horror movie out there), we at last have a range of scary movieness. So obviously, there’s been a lot of Halloween movie watching going on these days. And really, what could be better on a chilly, rainy, late October evening than a crackling fire, a good scary movie, and warm bowl of curried carrot soup?
This soup is one of my favorite fall meals. Carrots, coconut milk, ginger, lime, curry, what more could you want? Even the lovely orange color just screams fall (or even Halloween perhaps?). Not to mention, cooking a pot of this soup will make your kitchen smell fantastic. Serve with some warm buttery naan, and you’ve got the perfect meal to sustain you through a horror movie marathon. Happy Halloween!
Curried Carrot Soup
serves 3-4
- 1 3-inch piece of ginger root, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp curry powder (Penzey’s Sweet Curry is a great one for this)
- 1 lb carrots, coarsely chopped
- 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
- Salt to taste
- Plain yogurt, fresh cilantro, and cumin seed for serving
1. In a blender, combine the ginger, garlic, and ¼ cup water. Blend until a smooth consistency is achieved.
2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic-ginger mixture and the curry powder and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add the carrots, and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
4. Add the coconut milk, 1 cup water, and lime juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer until carrots are tender, about 25-30 minutes.
5. Transfer soup to a blender, or use an immersion blender to puree soup to a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt.
6. Serve soup topped with a dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, and cumin seeds.
