culinary review
   
   

Classic Carrot Soup with Ginger and Orange

Last Modified: 08/09/10
First Published: 10/10/07
Views: 5880
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Views: 5880
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This classic soup is a sure favorite and will please guests and family alike. It doesn't require any complicated ingredients, it's easy to vary and it's affordable to make !

Sometimes you create something that turns out just perfect. Today was such a day. I have had plenty of carrot soups flavored with ginger and orange and while I have always liked that concepts, often those soups are unbalanced. Too much ginger, too much orange zest or too “grainy” due to not cooking long enough. But today I decided to try my best to create a perfect carrot soup. And I did succeed!

soup

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Measurements
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General Info
Servings: 2
Total Cost: $1.73
Cost Per Serving: $0.86
Total Calories: 644
Calories/Serving: 322
IngredientVolumeMassCostCalorie
Butter, Unsalted 1 Tablespoon 14.00 Grams $0.06 100
Carrots (5 carrots chopped) 2 1/2 Cups 320.00 Grams $0.35 130
Onion, Yellow Diced 1/2 Cup 80.00 Grams $0.18 34
Celery, Chopped (1 stalk) 1/2 Cup 60.00 Grams $0.07 9
Potato, Baking (1 large potato) * 0.50 Pound $0.13 211
Thyme, Dried 1/2 Teaspoon 0.70 Gram $0.18 2
Ginger Root 1 Teaspoon 2.00 Grams $0.01 2
Garlic 2 Tablespoons 17.00 Grams $0.08 25
Water 2 Cups 454.00 Grams $0.00 0
Bouillon Cubes, Chicken (1 cube chicken or vegetable) * 12.00 Grams $0.19 30
Milk, Whole 1/4 Cup 60.00 Grams $0.06 38
Oranges (about 1 teaspoon orange zest) * 20.00 Grams $0.07 10
Oranges (juice of half an orange) * 100.00 Grams $0.33 49
Salt, Kosher 1 Teaspoon 4.80 Grams $0.01 0
Black Pepper, Ground 1 Teaspoon 2.13 Grams $0.02 5
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I tried to not rush my soup. You need to take your time in order to accomplish a balanced soup (a step I tend to ignore occasionally). So this time, I sautéed my vegetables for about 10-15 minutes, then I added the liquid and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes to half an hour. I carefully added a small amount of ginger as well as orange zest and juice in order to achieve a smooth balanced taste. Blending is of course a crucial step in order to get a creamy carrot soup. I love this concept because everybody's got a bag of carrots in the pantry as well as basic staples such as onion and potatoes, and all you have to pick up is an orange and some ginger. Cheap, simple and very satisfying!

2 servings

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped finely
  • 1 potato, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon of dried thyme
  • 1 tsp of fresh, chopped ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 vegetable bullion cube
  • ¼ cup of milk (or half-and-half if you have some on hand)
  • ½ tsp of orange zest
  • juice of half an orange
  • salt and peper

Method:
Melt the butter in a pot and start sauteeing the onion. After a few minutes, add the carrots, the celery, the potato, a little bit of salt and the dried thyme. Sautee for about 10 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are golden and they release their liquids. Add the garlic and the ginger and cook for another minute or two.

Add the water and the bullion cube (or use prepared broth if you have some on hand). Bring up to a boil, lower the temperature and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 20 minutes to half an hour until the vegetables are soft. Blend the soup (either use an emulsion blender or a regular stand-up blender). Bring the soup back to the pot and add as much milk/cream as you need to get your desired consistency. Add the orange zest and juice. Taste with salt and apply a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

Tip! This kind of soup is even better the next day, so it's not a bad idea to make a double batch and enjoy a hot bowl of soup later in the week.