Chantenay Carrot Soup - It’s What’s for Dinner Tonight
With thanks to Fumiko Church and friends…
This is one of those simple recipes that pleases everyone. I can never stop at one bowl. It’s easy to make and has the advantage of being comprised of ingredients you may well have on hand on any given day. It’s a soup of humble ingredients that is much more elegant in presentation.
The use of Chantenay carrots, will make it slightly sweeter than ordinary carrots. Adjust the recipe to your taste. I’ve substituted celeriac for celery and given tips to reduce the fat. All you need to make this a meal is some good bread and maybe a little salad. It's pretty much a meal in itself.
- 4 TBSP butter (or Smart Balance)
- ½ C onion, chopped
- 6 carrots chopped
- 1 small celeriac bulb, peeled, chopped (or a large stalk of celery with leaves)
- 1.5 C potatoes, peeled and diced
- 4 sprigs of parsley
- 6 C chicken broth
- 1 C heavy cream (see notes)
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cayenne or to taste
Melt butter in Dutch oven, add onions, sauté 5 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, celery, parsley, broth. Simmer till tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, puree until smooth. Return to Dutch oven, stir in cream or milk and s & p. Heat through but do not boil.
Serves 4-6
Notes:
- You could use milk, fat-free half and half, fat-free evaporated milk. Or, omit the cream altogether and offer a dollop of plain non-fat yogurt or fat-free sour crème or crème fraiche at the table.
- Carrots, celery, onion (classic mirepoix) are the basis for many good soups and stews.
- Cartons of good organic broth are great to keep them on the pantry shelf. Unused portions can be frozen in ice cube trays then transferred to Ziploc bag for future uses.
- I like Yukon Gold potatoes. They're smooth and buttery all on their own, cooking them in broth will allow you to reduce fat in many recipes.
- Smart Balance is just one heart healthy butter substitute, there are others. You could also substitute heart healthy, light oil instead. The Smart Balance adds a nice buttery flavor without butter's downsides. But what's four tablespoons in a whole pot of soup anyway?
- White pepper and curry are complementary flavors to try. To dress this up, I'd add some fried matchstick of parsnips as a garnish on top of a dollop of some dairy.
- To make vegetarian simply subtitute vegetable broth for the chicken. Omit the dairy and now you've got a nice vegan dinner.
