ENHANCED Carrot Soup

[ThermomixBlogger]

Here in Canada it blows a cold wind and this is just the right soup for a chilly day. Our friends on the sunnier side of the globe might have to wait a few months before truly appreciating the warmth of this recipe...

For photos and 'slideo', visit the blog page at:
http://www.superkitchenmachine.com/2009/2982/thermomix-carrot-soup.html

ENHANCED Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

300 g carrots
500 g chicken stock
150 g. light cream (optional)
1/2 apple (I prefer an apple with snappy flavour for this)
1 cooked chicken breast, about 100 - 150g.  (optional) (any other leftover chicken works fine too)
1 onion (small to medium size)
3 garlic cloves
2 cm fresh ginger, grated
20 g butter
salt
pepper
1 tsp. lime juice
1/2 tsp. curry paste (I use Patak's Madras Paste but many Thermomix users will have their own curry blend) The amount specified here is enough to warm up the flavor of the soup, but not enough to make it taste like curry. If you love curry, feel free to add more.

Method:

- Put carrots, apple, grated ginger, onion, and garlic into Thermomix bowl.
- Chop for 5 seconds at speed 7
- Add stock, salt, pepper, butter, curry paste, lime juice and mix for 3 seconds at speed 4
- Cook for 12 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
- Add cooked chicken and, if desired 150 gr. light cream
- Blend for 30 seconds at speed 8

Notes: The addition of chicken is entirely optional, as this is the 'enhancing' component. Make a vegetarian soup by using veggie stock and eliminating the chicken. The addition of chicken pieces makes for a soup that is more flavorful and more 'chewy'. This is a thick, stick-to-your-bones soup. Feel free to avoid the chicken and cream for a lighter, equally delicious version.

Additional lime juice added to bowl on serving would be delightful to those who like lime juice. If you have cilantro on hand, feel free to add it as garnish or before the last blending step. (The day I made this there was no fresh cilantro on hand, or I would have tried this myself.)

Bon Appetit!
TMB

Members' comments
brazen20au - I had no apples so I used a tub of the kids' pureed apple (they won't eat my homemade unfortunately). I'm not sure if it was the size of my chicken breast but it was definitely chicken soup for us, not carrot soup. I also added in some spinach (frozen). We did like it though! I doubled the recipe and I probably used more like 400-500g chicken.

JD - This soup is absolutely delicious Helene.  With an almost bare fridge facing me, I still felt like making a pot of soup for lunch and with your recipe in hand I managed to find all the ingredients needed.  I probably wouldn't have added the chicken even if I had any but I did add the cream and coriander (cilantro) and the flavours are divine.  Have just had a visitor pop in for 5 minutes and when I opened the door to her she commented on the lovely smell wafting through the house. This is definitely something I would serve as a starter to a dinner party.  Thank you so much for this lovely recipe.

[gertbysea]

We rarely have a chilly day here in Cairns but I reckon this soup would be lovely cold as well.

Gretchen

[trudy]

Sounds lovely.  It's going to be 38C here today so your right will wait awhile before we try!!!!

[ThermomixBlogger]

Wow! - I had no idea it was THAT HOT !!! (where is the emoticon with sweat dripping from brow???)

I guess when it comes to "seasonal cuisine" we Canadians and you Aussies are "culinarily opposed".... hmmm... "Dietetic opposites" maybe...

So, does this mean you're in your "lazy season"? Here we are battening down the hatches and brooding in the darkness of short days. Eating soup and bread and getting fat(ter). 

[faffa_70]

yep lazing on the beaches season!!! 

[andiesenji]

I prepare an almost identical soup (sans chicken) but with the addition of sorrel (a good handful of the medium-sized, still tender leaves). The lemony flavor complements the carrot and ginger and gives an extra "tang" to the soup.
I served it in mugs at our Halloween party with spicy croutons and it was one of the first things to be completely consumed - no leftovers.
Of course, I have not yet received my TMX but prepared the soup the "old-fashioned" way with a Vita-Mix blender and in a cooking pot.

I have two tubs of sorrel in my garden but it has seeded itself all over the yard and I am constantly picking it to keep it from taking over the entire garden.  The tubs move inside the greenhouse for the winter.

[LisaR12]

that sounds so yummy. have to put that on my hit list for a cooler day..thanks TMB

[ThermomixBlogger]

I prepare an almost identical soup (sans chicken) but with the addition of sorrel (a good handful of the medium-sized, still tender leaves). The lemony flavor complements the carrot and ginger and gives an extra "tang" to the soup.
I served it in mugs at our Halloween party with spicy croutons and it was one of the first things to be completely consumed - no leftovers.

Nice idea Andiesenji... I will certainly try it!

(Hey now wait a sec... I think I recognize your name    )

I have sorrel in the garden but never use it, so now I am inspired. Where we live, it grows almost all year round, self-seeding as you say and mostly a nuisance. You've inspired me to put it to better use. And I really like the idea of spicy croutons on top! I'm sure we'll be seeing some recipe posts from you very soon.... 

Cheers,
TMB

[Thermomixer]

Great recipe - like all the extra bits in there.

Lucky you andiesenji - my sorrel turned up its toes after moving house for the fourth time.  Need to replant some

[andiesenji]

I prepare an almost identical soup (sans chicken) but with the addition of sorrel (a good handful of the medium-sized, still tender leaves). The lemony flavor complements the carrot and ginger and gives an extra "tang" to the soup.
I served it in mugs at our Halloween party with spicy croutons and it was one of the first things to be completely consumed - no leftovers.

Nice idea Andiesenji... I will certainly try it!

(Hey now wait a sec... I think I recognize your name    )

I have sorrel in the garden but never use it, so now I am inspired. Where we live, it grows almost all year round, self-seeding as you say and mostly a nuisance. You've inspired me to put it to better use. And I really like the idea of spicy croutons on top! I'm sure we'll be seeing some recipe posts from you very soon.... 

Cheers,
TMB

I use the larger leaves, with the center rib removed, to wrap little bite-sized dolmas - it is particularly good for filling with rather fatty meats.

[brazen20au]

am making this for lunch today will have it slightly cooled, it's only 26'c here today so not too hot lol

[ThermomixBlogger]

am making this for lunch today

Great Brazen! I look forward to hearing how this turned out for you. Did you put in the apple? What are the apples like in Australia at this time of year? Here we get LOCAL fresh apples from September through about January (I think), as they do keep well. Then, we start getting apples from places like Australia and New Zealand... Do you get fresh local apples where you are at this time of year, or are you importing our apples??

(crazy world eh?...)

By the way I posted a new 'slideo' for my favourite soup today. I'll mention it under a separate post, keep watching... 

TMB

[brazen20au]

we don't import apples as far as i'm aware! but i had no apples so i used a tub of the kids' pureed apple (they won't eat my homemade unfortunately).

i'm not sure if it was the size of my chicken breast but it was definitely chicken soup for us, not carrot soup. i also added in some spinach (frozen).

we did like it though!

[ThermomixBlogger]

  Thanks Brazen -- I will make it again and measure the weight of the chicken breast to ensure more consistent results. I'm new at this recipe writing game.... not sure that I'm qualified..    but I hope the work out the wrinkles and give it my best shot!

... could be that what we call "a chicken breast" is more like "a half chicken breast"... hmmmm... will weigh the next one and get back to this thread.

thanks for your patience....

TMB
ps - you put spinach in there ... with apple... and carrot and chicken... and your kids liked it? Wow. That's impressive.    As I see it... there's some phenomenal mothering going on over at your house! 

[brazen20au]

i checked after i posted and saw 100g of chicken, it hink i probably used more like 400-500g (i didn't measure anything as i was cookign on the stove top ) but i did double the recipe, so it's most likely me not your recipe lol

yes they liked it, one even had seconds however they had no idea what was in it except carrots, and ds doesn't eat chicken and dh doesn't eat fruit LOL