A bowl of carrot soup adds color to the dining table.
Carrot soup, a versatile appetizer or main dish, may consist of a simple broth and tuber mixture. Or you can meld the root with other vegetables and herbs, serve the soup as a blended creamy bisque, or add fresh cilantro atop a piping hot consomme containing chunks of vegetables. Experts promote carrots as anticancer agents because of their carotenoids, the phytochemical responsible for the orange color. The root vegetable contains more than a hundred phytochemicals.
Carrot Consomme Ingredients
Some consomme recipes remove all vegetable pieces serving only the strained broth while others add pieces of carrot after straining. In either case, a carrot consomme combines the orange vegetable pieces with seasoning ingredients such as onion, celery and ginger. Bay leaves, rosemary, peppercorns and thyme enhance the flavor of the broth. For a spicier version, include a seeded red chili pepper. Simmer the ingredients three to four hours and cool for an additional hour before straining the broth.
Carrot Bisque Ingredients
For creamy bisque, cook carrots with other vegetables and seasonings in chicken or vegetable broth until tender. Add potatoes, white or red onions, celery, garlic or leeks along with carrots to a simmering broth until tender. Additional herbs and spices such as cumin, tarragon, rosemary or ginger boost the soup's flavor. Blend the broth and vegetable combination until pureed and boost the flavor with additional liquid ingredients such as apple juice, white wine, yogurt or heavy cream.
Cold Carrot Soup
For a hot summer day, serve creamy carrot soup as a chilled appetizer or light main course. After cooking a mixture of carrots and other vegetables in a seasoned broth, puree the contents. Add sour cream or yogurt and chill for at least four hours before serving. Other nondairy choices for cold soups include sherry, pureed cucumbers and soy or almond milk. Fresh herbs served atop each bowl of chilled soup add flavor and decoration. A mixture of cooked crab, lemon juice and chives added on top of each serving converts a simple carrot soup to an elegant seafood appetizer.
Other Vegetable Choices
Many soup recipes merge carrots with potatoes, celery and onion, but other less common vegetables when combined with the tuber form a tasty dish. A combination of butternut squash, sweet potatoes and carrots produces a bright colored soup with a nutty flavor. Cubed parsnips simmered with carrots add an additional sweet flavor to soup, while topping the bowl with parsnip chips gives the dish a crunch. Roasted corn, tomatoes and green peppers combine with meats, spices and broth for hearty carrot chowder.
Tags: other vegetables, broth until, broth until tender, carrot soup, carrots with