One of the very first soups we served in the Cook for Good Pantry was a classic carrot with coriander, and in the couple of years since, we’ve come up with lots of variations for our members to try. This is a recent discovery: the zingy orange really perks up the flavour, and the star anise adds a hint of warm spices. A great way to rescue a common surplus vegetable from going limp in your fridge. It goes beautifully with challah rolls.
Read more about the fantastic Cook for Good project here.
Method:
- Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic. Strip the thyme leaves from the stalks (save the stalks to infuse in vinegar for salad dressings). Peel and cut the carrots into 2 cm dice. Crush the coriander seeds in the pestle and mortar until finely ground.
- Juice the orange.
- Set a large saucepan or shallow casserole pan on a medium heat. Add the oil followed by the onions, garlic, star anise, and freshly ground coriander. Gently sauté until all the veg is soft and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrot and thyme leaves. Cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until the carrots are just starting to caramelise. Pour in the stock – the liquid should just cover the vegetables but top up with more stock if required. Bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes.
- When the carrots are tender, remove the star anise and blend until the soup is very smooth. Add salt, pepper, and white wine vinegar to taste. Slowly add the orange juice: add half first as you blend, then taste and add more as needed.
- If using butter, whisk into the hot soup right before serving (it adds a lovely creamy finish) and serve immediately.
- Serve hot, garnished with herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe extracted from Cook for Good (Cookforgood.uk)
