This time, it was inspired by my juicer.
Do you juice? Do you hate throwing away the usable pulp? Me too.
In this case, I had a whole bunch of carrot pulp left after juicing a LOT of carrots. I knew I could do something useful with that pulp. Or, really, it was more like shredded carrots. Sort of dry shredded carrots, but still good stuff - enough flavor left, plus the good fiber that would add body to my soup.
If you don't have left over carrot pulp from a juicer, of course you can use shredded carrots. Or, heck, chop them if you like. Your soup will be more carrot-y, which isn't a bad thing.
The ginger here was a late addition when I made the soup. After it was nearly done and I tasted it, I knew it needed a "warm" spice. I considered nutmeg, mace, cinnamon and cumin. All of those would have worked, but in the end I chose ginger. But I didn't want this to be a carrot-ginger soup. The ginger isn't particularly discernible, but it does add that warmth I was looking for. Like I said, I added it at the end, as an adjustment, but it makes more sense, recipe-wise, to add it earlier.
The other thing this soup needed was a bit of acid, which is why I used the creme fraiche garnish. It's not just about pretty presentation. Sour cream would also work, if you don't have creme fraiche. But really, creme fraiche is easy to make at home. So go for it.
Creamy Carrot Soup
4 cups shredded carrot
8 cups water
3 red potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon salt (plus more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
Creme fraiche* (for garnish)
Melt the butter in a stockpot or large, heavy-bottomed pot. Let it cook until the solids in the butter begin to brown, then quickly add the carrots and stir. Add the water, potatoes, celery, garlic, salt, thyme, and ginger.
Cook at a simmer, stirring as needed, until the vegetables are very tender. Blend the soup with your stick blender (you could also do this in batches in a regular blender, but that wouldn't be a lot of fun.) The soup should be very smooth. If the carrots can still be seen in bits, continue cooking and blend again. It took about an hour before my carrots were completely smooth.
Add the evaporated milk and blend once more. Taste for seasoning. Add salt, as needed.
Serve hot, with a garnish of creme fraiche on each bowl. You can have more creme fraiche at the table, if you like, so people can add more as needed.
*Check here for my creme fraiche recipe.
This recipe is part of the weekly #SundaySupper, and this week it's all about soup. Go check out these awesome blogger and their soup recipes!
Do The Chicken Dance (chicken - or other poultry - soups)
Chicken Tortellini & White Bean Soup at Flour On My Face
Chicken Gnocchi at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
Chicken Cheese Soup by There and Back Again
Chicken Tortellini Soup by Country Girl In The Village
Chicken Soup with Leeks, Onions and Fennel by Shockingly Delicious
Family Style Tablescape featuring Chicken Tortilla Soup by An Appealing Plan
Yucatan Chicken Lime Soup (Sopa de Lima) by The Weekend Gourmet
Chicken Meatball, Spinach and Orzo Soup from Gourmet Drizzles
Ground Turkey and Vegetable Soup at The Messy Baker
Cheesy Chipotle Chicken Sausage Chowder by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Chick-Fil-A Chicken Noodle Soup by Family Foodie
Chicken Vegetable Noodle Soup at Cupcakes and Pearls
Healthy Bean and Sausage Soup by Momma’s Meals
Smoked Sausage and Wild Rice Soup at Mama, Mommy, Mom
Where’s The Beef (Beef Soups)
Chili with Black Beans by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Vegetable and Beef Soup by Supper For a Steal
Swabian Beef Spaetzle +1 Soup (Gaisburger Marsch) at Galactosemia in PDX
Bacon Cheeseburger Soup by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Beef Pho Soup by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Frijol con Carne by MarocMama
Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef and Noodle Soup) by Neighborfood
Pass The Pork. Please (Pork or Sausage Soups)
Louisiana Caldo by Catholic Foodie
Sweet potato and Spanish chorizo soup at My Cute Bride
Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae) by Hip Foodie Mom
Under The Sea (Seafood Soups)
Shrimp Miso Noodle Soup at Pescetarian Journal
Szechuan Fish Soup by The Urban Mrs.
New England Clam Chowder at Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Hearty Okra Shrimp Gumbo Laced with Coconut Oil by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Bacon and Shrimp Bisque at Big Bear’s Wife
Lobster Bisque by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Chinese Fish Maw Soup by My Trials in The Kitchen
Thai Curry Coconut Mussel Soup by Noshing With The Nolands
Eat Your Veggies (Chock Full o’ Vegetables Soups)
French Onion Soup by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Spicy Sweet Potato and Corn Soup at Magnolia Days
Creamy Cheddar Potato Soup at Daily Dish Recipes
Rather French Onion Soup by What Smells So Good?
Broccoli Cheddar Soup by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Cream of Ancho Chile Soup from La Cocina de Leslie
Pasta e Fagoli Soup at Cravings of a Lunatic
Miso Soup by Crazy Foodie Stunts
Vegetable Consommé with Semolina Dumplings – Grießknödel at Masala Herb
Vegetable Medley Soup with Broccoli and Leeks at Chattering Kitchen
Smoky Kale and Tomato Soup with Garlic Croutons by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Coconut Corn Chowder at Mangoes and Chutney
Make Your Own (Gluten Free) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup at The Meltaways
Ital Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup at The Lovely Pantry
Chunky Vegetable and Barley Soup at Curious Cuisiniere
Corn Soup with Crispy Tortilla Strips at Ninja Baking
Jalapeno Beer Cheese Soup by The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
Wild Mushroom Soup at Food Lust People Love
Creamy Carrot Soup at Cookistry
Vermicelli Soup by Damn Delicious
Country Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Potatoes at girlichef
Some Don’t Like It Hot (Chilled Soups)
Chilled Strawberry Soup at Juanita’s Cocina
Bread and Tomato Soup – Gazpacho Style at Vintage Kitchen Notes
Of course once you have seen all of the recipes for the day, you’ll not want to miss our #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special soup recipes!
Our weekly chat starts at 7 p.m. ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat.
