I decided to finally make this soup, using a recipe from an old friend. And then I looked in the fridge. I had the main three ingredients but let's just say, they weren't all at their best. But, I figured it didn't matter because they were about to become pureed anyway. Also, I totally believe in the restorative powers of herbs and spices, or in other words, how to ramp up the flavor of practically any food.
My big missing ingredient was ginger. I didn't have it in any form so I substituted nutmeg, having read somewhere sometime that would work out. I added some chopped fresh basil and a dollop of vanilla non-dairy yogurt for the garnish, deciding to leave out the tbsp. of unsalted butter she had added at the end.
The end result - it was healthy. And the taste was good but I admit, not a Wow. I think next time I'll add some heat, maybe jalapenos. However, day two and into leftovers, I used cilantro instead of the basil and that perked things up. Also, since it was an unbelievably hot day, I ate it cold and think that's the way I prefer this soup. Nice to have to choice though. See what you think.
What I used:
4 colorful carrots
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced into wedges, then into 3-inch pieces
3 celery stalks, cut in 3-inch pieces
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, slivered
2 tsp. nutmeg
3 tbsp. virgin olive oil
3 c. vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
dollop of vanilla non-milk yogurt
fresh basil, chopped
What to do:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Mix the carrots, apple and celery in a bowl with 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the mixture. Roast in oven for approximately 25 minutes, turning over halfway through.
In a Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the remaining extra virgin olive oil and add onions, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg, and stir for about 1 minute.
Add the carrots, apple and celery to the Dutch oven and stir, then add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Remove from heat and puree in a blender.
You're all set after adding the salt and pepper, and garnishes. Enjoy!
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The ingredients do sound like they need some perking up.
ReplyDeleteCilantro will not do in my house. I'll have to find some alternative.