Tuesday, March 5, 2019

Carrot Soup with Toasted Spices and Pecans - recipe & giveaway

LESLIE:  Over the years, we’ve made a few carrot soups and always enjoyed them. But lately, I’ve been looking at soup through Pepper’s eye, as it’s the featured food in the fifth Spice Shop book, due out in 2020. I’m about 65 pages in to the manuscript, but no surprise, I’ve got a clearer vision for the recipe section than for the story itself. No surprise, because I often start with the title spice. And oddly, while it’s popular in soup, it doesn’t feature in this one. Go figure.

People often think soups take hours. They really don’t. But they are often better the second day. Why? As Pepper likes to remind her customers and us, spice blends can take a good 24 hours to marry, and that’s certainly true here. In other words, while you’ll love this soup on Sunday night when you’re cooking for the week, you’ll love the leftovers even more on Tuesday, reheated in a small pan on the stove top. The teeny little bite -- and it will hit your tongue, not your throat or tummy -- will be gone, the spices melded into a rich, toasty combo that's doubly nice on a chilly evening.

Don't skip the pecans – they’re a terrific complement to the sweetness of the carrots. If you end up with leftover nuts, toss them in a salad. And if you have leftover spices – well, save them for more soup. Or follow Pepper’s lead and play!

Coconut milk can be thick and lumpy, and playing catch with the can isn’t enough to re-homogenize it. The best trick is to pour it into the container for the immersion or stick blender, or the jar of a regular blender, and whirr it up a bit. And don’t worry about dirtying the thing – you’ll use it again to puree the soup. Pour the extra milk in a plastic container, toss it in the freezer, and use it for another round of Carrot Soup or the Winter Squash, Mushroom, and Spinach Curry I shared earlier this year.

This soup is excellent with a salad and cheese toasts. But then, so is just about everything.

As many of you know, my Spice Shop Mysteries will be returning in June, at long last, with #4, CHAI ANOTHER DAY. And today is my birthday! To celebrate those two events, I'm offering readers' choice of the earlier Spice Shop Mysteries: ASSAULT & PEPPER, GUILTY AS CINNAMON, or KILLING THYME. Leave a comment below, with your email address, for a chance to win. THREE WINNERS! 

Talk to me about soup, spice, or Seattle -- or anything else your little heart desires. 

And if you want to be among the first to see the cover of CHAI -- some delays at the publisher, but it should be ready any day now -- sign up for my newsletter (link below) for the big reveal!

Carrot Soup With Toasted Spices and Pecans

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound carrots
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
3 cups water
1/2 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon ground cumin or coriander
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns or coarsely ground black pepper
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, for serving

Chop the onion and mince the garlic.

Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt; cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion has softened, stirring occasionally.

While the onion mixture sautees, scrub and trim the carrots, then slice into thin rounds.

Increase the heat to medium; stir in the carrots, coconut milk and water. When the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, cover and cook 15-20 minutes, until the carrots become tender.

Meanwhile, toast the pecans in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned; remember that nuts will continue to brown and crisp as they cool. Transfer to a cutting board to cool; coarsely chop. Add the cumin, celery seed, crushed red pepper flakes and black peppercorns to the skillet; toast 3-4 minutes until fragrant, then crush and blend in a spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Don’t skip this step, even if you’ve used already-ground pepper, as crushing the spices together helps to blend the flavors.

Back to the carrots. Test for doneness; when soft, remove from heat and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add all but a pinch of the toasted, crushed spices and stir well. Then use your immersion blender or regular blender to puree; you may puree or leave some chunks, as you prefer. Stir in the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Divide among individual bowls. Garnish with the remaining toasted spices, a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, and the toasted pecans.

Serves 4.











"A treat for the senses." --- librarian and reviewer Lesa Holstine, on the Spice Shop Mysteries


From the cover of CHAI ANOTHER DAY, Spice Shop Mystery #4 (Seventh St. Books, June 2019): 

 Seattle Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece probes murder while juggling a troubled employee, her mother's house hunt, and a fisherman who's set his hook for her.

As owner of the Spice Shop in Seattle's famed Pike Place Market, Pepper Reece is always on the go. Between conjuring up new spice blends and serving iced spice tea to customers looking to beat the summer heat, she finally takes a break for a massage. But the Zen moment is shattered when she overhears an argument in her friend Aimee's vintage home decor shop that ends in murder. 

Wracked by guilt over her failure to intervene, Pepper investigates, only to discover a web of deadly connections that could ensnare a friend - and Pepper herself.

Leslie Budewitz is the author of the Food Lovers’ Village Mysteries and the Spice Shop Mysteries—and the first author to win Agatha Awards for both fiction and nonfiction. Her first historical short story, "All God's Sparrows," is nominated for the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; read it on her website. A past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America, she lives in northwest Montana with her husband, a musician and doctor of natural medicine, and their cat, an avid bird-watcher.

Swing by my website and join the mailing list for my seasonal newsletter. And join me on Facebook where I announce lots of giveaways from my cozy writer friends.

60 comments:

  1. Your soup sounds delicious, perfect for Wisconsin right now. I’d love to get one of your books, to read in my cozy chair.

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  2. Happy birthday! And that soup looks sooo good, and easily made vegan. I'm definitely going to have to try this recipe. mbradeen [at] yahoo [dot] com

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    1. Thanks! And yes -- just skip the dollop and ta-da -- vegan!

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  3. Happy birthday, Leslie! I can't say I'm a fan of carrots, so I probably won't try this soup. There are lots of soups I do love, though! Cream of mushroom and clam chowder are a couple of my favorites. So excited for the new Spice Shop mystery!

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  4. Happy Birthday! I have all three Spice Shop books and Chai Another Day is on the wish list! The recipe sounds great and I'll definitely give it a try - always looking for recipes I can make gluten free!

    jwhite410@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks! I forgot to tag this g-f -- thanks for the reminder!

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  5. Hurray! The Spice Shop is back!!!

    This soup sounds super (couldn't resist). Great combination of flavors.

    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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  6. I love toasting spices and this recipe sounds like a winner! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net

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  7. The recipe sounds great—I love soup in the winter, esp homemade. And yay to your books! Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  8. Soup is my staple and is soothing. Your recipe sounds delectable and your books captivating. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  9. I want to try this recipe. I may need to cut it in half as I'm not sure my husband would like it. I can eat soup all year round. I enjoy your spice shop books. pgenest57(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Paula, it only makes 4 servings and while I haven't tried freezing it, I think you easily could. Some soup recipes could feed the neighborhood, but this isn't one of them.

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  10. I love soup all year and this soup is a delightful and unique type.Love your spice books. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. I am so excited to be part of this group -- today is my first day here-- and to see this amazing recipe is a huge plus
    I also can not believe all the fabulous books I now have to read!

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    1. Welcome, Nancy! We aim to please palate and mind. Be sure to leave your email address if you'd like a chance to win a book!

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. The carrot soup sounds delicious, I really like the addition of the pecans. Will make a good meal for the chilly weather we are still having in Chicago.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Brr! We're on our 3d consecutive day of lows in the double digits BELOW zero -- and our 3d bout of this in 3 weeks. At least the sun is out and we have crept above zero, though not by much. Soup weather continues...

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  14. Happy Birthday!I hope you have a great day! Wishing you a wonderful birthday year! Thanks for the recipe ! It looks delectable! Congratulations on your upcoming book release! I have never been to Seattle,I have always wanted to go! I love cooking soup.I love cooking all types, my daughter loves it when I make matzo ball soup. I've made butternut squash soup for my mother in my instant pot.
    BakingCookies(at)Gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks, Mindy! Love your email address!

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    2. You're welcome. Thanks, I love baking, so I thought it would work well. I just caught a mistake I did.
      My correct email address is BakingCookies32(at)Gmail(dot)com

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  15. Your carrot soup sounds interesting. I wish I could try it before committing to making it!
    patdupuy@yahoo.com

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    1. Here' -- I'll pass a spoonful through the screen. Got it? Good!

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  16. Soup is perfect on a rainy or chilly day or when you're just feeling quiet. Homemade is so, so much better than that canned stuff (ugh) or even what they have in the grocery stores in tubs. Hit and miss there but nothing better than soup simmering on the stove. Thanks for the recipe and the giveaway.
    sallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com

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  17. Happy Birthday! Thanks for this yummy sounding recipe! Love that it is gluten free! Love a good pot of soup in the cool weather! Thanks for the chance to win. ljbonkoski@yahoo.com

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    1. Thanks, Lori! Gluten-free and vegetarian; skip the dollop of yogurt or sour cream and it's also vegan.

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  18. Happy Birthday! I'm glad there will be a new Spice Shop book!
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  19. I must try this recipe. I love soup! Had a wonderful Pho Kai for lunch today. Perfect comfort food! Can't wait for #4 to be released. Have a wonderful birthday and thank you for such enjoyable series!
    Valrogalla at gmail dot com

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    1. Thanks, Val! Did you see Lucy's recipe for pho a couple of weeks ago? Almost as easy as takeout, plus you get that simmering scent to warm the house!

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  20. I have never had a carrot soup but the color looks so wonderfully warm. Will have to give it a whirl.
    little lamb lst at yahoo dot com

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  21. This recipe looks delicious! Thanks for the chance. JL_minter@hotmail.com

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  22. I have never had carrot soup, but there is always a first time for everything. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
    vickiela3(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Adventures keep us young, right, even if it's "just dinner"! Thank s for the good wishes!

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  23. I would love to visit Seattle! Must sees would include the Space Needle, the Dale Chihuly glass exhibit, and of course a Mariners baseball game. Thanks for such a great contest and Happy Birthday!
    mlduffer(at)att(dot)net

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    1. All so wonderful! Did you know the Needle was inspired by a local man's visit to a rotating restaurant in Germany? He sketched his design on a napkin!

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  24. Thanks for the recipe - great for the weather we've been experiencing.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  25. Happiest Birthday Leslie!!!!! This soup looks very yum! Thanks so much!

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  26. Looking forward to book #4. Thanks for the amazing carrot soup recipe! Bfree2read@gmail.com

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  27. Happy Birthday!! I cannot wait for the new release. Thanks for the recipe. I love soups. No need to enter me since I have read and loved all the books in this series! Thanks!!

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    1. Thank you, dear Kay! Spread the word! (I know you will!)

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  28. Happy Birthday! I love soup! And Seattle. And you can't live without spices! I have all of those books and love them! I hope you had a great day!

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  29. Happy Birthday. :) How nice to find a fellow soup lover, though carrot soup is not really a favourite of mine. But almost anything else goes: tomato soup, chicken soup, pea soup, pumpkin-peach soup to name just a few that came to my table lately. There'll be many more over the next weeks till I get to cold soups for the summer. And to get the best of it, I usually make the soup the evening before, so things have time to blend over night.... unless, of course, the smell seduces me to try a "tiny" bowl already that very evening. :) Hope you enjoyed your soup. Bruni BruRasche(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Pumpkin-peach? Now that's intriguing! And yes, making ahead is a great idea but I never really manage -- I just plan on knowing the leftovers will be even better!

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  30. Sounds wonderful. I'll wait until our very warm streak ends to give it a try.
    kckendler at gmail dot com

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    1. Oh, for a warm streak! We did get finally to a high that's only 10 degrees below normal, but 37 still doesn't quite count as a warm streak! Enjoy the soup, whenever you get to it!

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  31. Happy late birthday! Mine was Sunday, so us early March babies gotta stick together �� This soup looks divine and I can't wait to try it! [ibmandums@yahoo.com]

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  32. My 91 year old mother-in-law makes soup for us every week because, she claims, she likes to stay busy. Perhaps this is the secret to staying young.
    Lisacobblestone@aol.com

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  33. I made the soup for dinner last night, and aside from the fact that I may have over-toasted the spices, it was delicious. We have just started to warm up a bit after 6 weeks of way below normal temperatures, so soup appeals. I love the spice shop mysteries and am glad to hear another is forthcoming. If I were to win, I would choose "Killing Thyme".
    gnluciow(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it! Toasting spices can be a little tricky. If you've got leftovers, I'm betting you'll like the flavors even more!

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  34. Happy Birthday and thanks for offering this giveaway!!! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  35. Sounds good, Happy Birthday. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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  36. Happy Birthday and thanks for the recipe and giveaway. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  37. I've read all the older Spice Shoppe books :) Loved them. Happy Happy Birthday. Hope you are having a wonderful day. I like chicken and noodle soup ( not the type in the cans :) . Simple recipe but great on a cold winter day or whenever the cook isn't feeling up to cooking. Vicki nvictoria77(at)yahoo(dot)com

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