I’ve been on-and-off sick. Everything from cold to major aches. But on the day my throat couldn’t handle most things, I made my favorite, simple, ginger-y soup. And then I made it 4 times more, and again today. Telling Connie I was making this for the blog was really my way of saying, let me feed you. She had two bowls of it and told me there’s lovely balance between contrasting flavors and textures; they meld. That’s exactly what I was going for here. What you see aren’t just pretty garnishes. They are what completes this soup. Crispy chickpeas, crispy slivers of ginger, on top of silky carrot soup that has been simmered with orange peels and cumin seeds and more ginger. Yes, yes, and yes.
Carrot Soup W/ Orange and Ginger
Ingredients
- -olive oil, enough to coat pot
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, chopped (or 1 leek, sliced)
- 1 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- inch of fresh turmeric, grated (optional)
- 4 cups carrots, diced (about 3 large)
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- orange peels, few strips
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat olive oil and stir in cumin seeds. After a minute, add onions til translucent. Stir in ginger, garlic, and turmeric if using. Then add your carrots and potatoes. After a few minutes you’ll want to add your stock (enough to cover your veggies plus a little more) cumin powder, orange peels. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Take out peels. Using an immersion blender, blend til it reaches the texture you prefer. I like mine to have some chunky pieces of carrot left. Then add your fresh orange juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Add freshly grated ginger if you want more of it.I garnished with fresh slices of jalapeño, cilantro, crispy ginger, and crispy chickpeas. You don’t need them to enjoy the carrot soup, but you totally won’t regret doing this. Sometimes I just add the crispy ginger.
Take a knob of ginger, thinly slice into matchsticks, and fry in vegetable oil til golden.
Toss canned chickpeas (after draining) in olive oil, cumin, garam masala, hungarian (hot) paprika, garlic powder. Roast for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or just til crispy.
I served this with my favorite roasted cauliflower which has jalapeños and sliced garlic, seasoned with turmeric, plus more of the roasted, crispy chickpeas.
Here’s a soup with a texture you can kiss. Enjoy, loves.
