The humble carrot, often the last of the vegetables to be harvested from the garden in autumn, makes a fabulous base for a smooth Cream of Carrot Soup. With its superb flavor, color, and luxuriously smooth texture, this soup is a winning combination and can be made year-round.
This is not a difficult soup to make. I like to use my own homemade stock but commercial poultry stock can certainly be used. A layer of flavor is added from the bacon-rendered fat that, when combined with butter, is fabulous for sautéing the onions, celery, and garlic. Don’t forget to scrape up the brown bits from cooking the bacon as these add lovely flavor to the soup.
Adding a starchy variety of potato, such as Russet, helps to thicken the soup along with a small amount of flour. And, of course, the whipping cream called for in the recipe assists in achieving a lovely luxuriously smooth soup texture, as well. To attain a velvety textured soup, the use of fat-reduced milk in this soup is not recommended. For best results, use the good stuff – the real whipping cream and whole milk.
A modest amount of selected seasonings flavors the soup but does not detract from the sweetness of the carrots themselves which is further enhanced by the addition of a small amount of pure maple syrup. Adding some finely grated parmesan cheese makes for a richer soup with deeper flavor.
Serve this soup with rolls, biscuits, favorite bread, or crackers.
[Printable recipe follows at end of post]
Cream of Carrot Soup
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon
2 – 3 tbsp butter
1 cup onion, diced small
2/3 cup celery, diced
3 – 5 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 cups poultry stock (turkey or chicken)
1 bay leaf
1½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp summer savory
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp curry powder
2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced apx. 1/8” thick
1 – 5 oz Russet potato, diced
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup whipping cream (36%MF)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Sour cream and/or fresh herbs, for garnish (optional)
Method:
In stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and blot between layers of paper towel. Crumble bacon into small pieces and set aside.
Add butter to the bacon-rendered fat in the stock pot and heat over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits from the bacon left in the bottom of the stock pot. Add the onion and celery. Reduce heat slightly and, stirring continuously, cook until the onions become transparent and the celery softens somewhat, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and, stirring vigorously, continue cooking for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Do not allow garlic to scorch. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir quickly for several seconds to mix.
Whisk in the chicken stock then add the bay leaf, seasonings, carrots, and potato. Stir. Cover and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to a low, simmering boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are cooked soft, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cool mixture slightly then, working in batches, purée mixture smooth in blender.
Transfer puréed mixture to clean stock pot and whisk in the milk, whipping cream, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat over medium-low heat just until heated to serving temperature. Stir in parmesan cheese until melted. Do not boil.
Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon pieces and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream and/or fresh herbs.
Yield: Apx. 8-9 servings (apx. 1 cup per serving)
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Printable Recipe
Cream of Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 - 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup onion, diced small
- 2/3 cup celery, diced
- 3 - 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups poultry stock (turkey or chicken)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ¼ tsp summer savory
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp curry powder
- 2 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced apx. 1/8” thick
- 1 – 5 oz Russet potato, diced
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup whipping cream (36%MF)
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- Sour Cream and/or fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In stock pot, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and blot between layers of paper towel. Crumble bacon into small pieces and set aside.
- Add butter to the bacon-rendered fat in the stock pot and heat over medium heat, scraping up any brown bits from the bacon left in the bottom of the stock pot. Add the onion and celery. Reduce heat slightly and, stirring continuously, cook until the onions become transparent and the celery softens somewhat, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and, stirring vigorously, continue cooking for about 30 seconds, just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Do not allow garlic to scorch. Sprinkle flour over mixture and stir quickly for several seconds to mix.
Whisk in the chicken stock then add the bay leaf, seasonings, carrots, and potato. Stir. Cover and bring mixture to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to a low, simmering boil and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until carrots are cooked soft, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cool mixture slightly then, working in batches, purée mixture smooth in blender.
Transfer puréed mixture to clean stock pot and whisk in the milk, whipping cream, and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat over medium-low heat just until heated to serving temperature. Stir in parmesan cheese until melted. Do not boil.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled bacon pieces and, if desired, a dollop of sour cream and/or fresh herbs.
Recipe Notes
Yield: Apx. 8-9 servings (apx. 1 cup per serving)
[Copyright My Island Bistro Kitchen]
For other tasty Soup, Stew, Chowder, Chili, and Stock Recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:
Chili
Classic Chili
Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
Cream-based Soups
Classic Cream of Broccoli and Cheese Soup
Classic Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Cream of Roasted Asparagus Soup
Cream of Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Cream of Roasted Tomato Soup
Cream of Winter Root Vegetable Soup
Homemade Cream of Celery Soup
PEI Potato Leek Soup
Broth-based Soups
Minestrone
Classic Homemade Turkey Vegetable Soup
Cock-a-Leekie Soup
Ham Lentil Soup
Hamburger Soup
Old-fashioned Boiled Ham Dinner
Stews
Irish Stew
Rich and Hearty Goulash
Stocks
Homemade Turkey Stock
Homemade Beef Stock
Chowders
PEI Mussel Chowder
PEI Lobster Chowder
Turkey Chowder
Creamy Homestyle Corn Chowder
Creamy Ham and Potato Chowder
