CARROT SOUP WITH CORIANDER OIL

Carrot soup anyone? To many this must sound at the fore front of bland. Carrots like the humble parsnip must be among the most versatile of root vegetables, not only can we cook them in a multitude of ways they also appear in desserts in the form of cakes!

Growing up, like most kids i was put through the torture of carrots cut into rounds, then cooked to affinity till all of the goodness had leached from the poor vegetables to form an orange tinted water that was then thrown away. I'm still convinced to this day that pouring that water on the garden would have made you king of horticulture. Many a year was spent wondering how Bugs bunny enjoyed this humble veg!

As years have passed my taste buds have developed thank god! A carrot is no longer held or seen in the light that was previously shown to it, but to reach this stage of carrot enlightenment you have to ban all carrot killers from the pot, take up the apron or find a cook that understands the humble root veg!



A recipe for Carrot soup that is lightly spiced, with the addition of coriander(cilantro) oil.



Serves 4 as a starter( Quantities can be increased, but try to keep to the figure of 250 between the carrots and liquid i.e. 750g carrot to 1000ml liquid, increase to 1000g of carrot to 1250 ml liquid and so forth), reason for this is texture and thickness. This ratio works well with a good silky texture.



Recipe:



Roast carrots:



750g of carrots

Olive oil

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground pepper



Carrot soup:



1000ml of good chicken stock preferably homemade. For a vegetarian version omit chicken stock and replace with vegetable stock.

750 g of roasted carrots

A good handful of fresh coriander

1 teaspoon of roasted and ground coriander seeds

Half a teaspoon of cumin powder

Sea salt

Freshly Ground pepper



Coriander(cilantro) oil:



100ml of extra virgin olive oil

20g of fresh coriander(stems and leaf)

A grain or two of sea salt (no more)

Method:



Top and tail the carrots and clean as necessary trying to leave skins intact. Pre-heat your oven to 190c and lightly coat the carrots in a roasting tray with the oil. Season well.Cook for 40 minutes of until roasted and cooked through.

While the carrots are roasting make the coriander oil. Bring a big pan of water to the boil and blanch the coriander for 30 seconds then plunge into an iced water bath. Pat dry and add to a liquidiser with some of the EVO oil, add the small amount of salt and blitz in the liquidiser adding the rest of the oil until a vibrant green oil is achieved that is free of coriander pieces. Transfer to a container and refrigerate till needed.

In another pan bring the desired amount of chicken stock to the boil, once the carrots are cooked add to a liquidiser with the stock, and puree. Add fresh coriander then season, add ground roasted coriander seeds(see note), and cumin and continue to puree to a smooth consistency is achieved!

Transfer to a clean pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for at least 15 minutes, stirring at intervals.



To serve:



Transfer to serving bowls, and add a teaspoon of coriander oil to each bowl.



Notes:



To roast the coriander seeds, place a skillet or frying pan onto a hob, place the seeds into the pan and lightly toast till the aroma is released. Once the aroma is released remove from the source of heat and pound to a powder in a pestle and mortar.



The coriander oil will yield a lot more than is needed for this soup, but is very versatile and can be used as a sauce for other dishes or as an ingredient.