Now that I am back to working more reasonable hours, I am getting back in the habit of cooking every Sunday. This week I have a savory soup recipe to share with you. I know it's not really "soup season" since it's warming up, but I am the kind of person who eats soup year round. It is such a comfort meal for me - and it's usually very healthy and low in calories. Which is a good thing with swimsuit season upon us!
I had this soup when I was at my brother's for Easter. It's so seasonally appropriate! The best part is that the recipe requires very few ingredients and is a one-pot wonder!
Start things off right by preparing your mis en place (a diced shallot, 1.5 lbs of choppped carrots)
Saute the shallot in a dash of olive oil until it is translucent
Add 1 teaspoon of curry powder (or more if you like it with a bit more of a kick like me)
Add 6 cups of Chicken Broth (Progresso brand is Gluten Free! Hooray!)
Bring to a rapid boil
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over medium-low to medium heat until the carrots are very tender. This took close to an hour on my stove.
Then puree the soup. I do not own a blender (perhaps Santa will bring one next Christmas?) so I used my hand mixer, which worked like a charm!
And voila!! You can add 2 T. of fresh OJ to the blended soup but I skipped this step since I didn't have any oranges on hand (and didn't know about this ingredient when I went grocery shopping earlier this week).
And voila!! You can add 2 T. of fresh OJ to the blended soup but I skipped this step since I didn't have any oranges on hand (and didn't know about this ingredient when I went grocery shopping earlier this week).
Like most of my recipes, this yields quite a bit. I portioned it out into 1 1/2 cup servings.
You could definitely tailor the seasoning of this soup to your tastes. When I make it next, I wil probably add some celery when I saute the shallot. I bet it would taste great with ginger (if you like ginger, I actually don't!!).
Do you pack a lunch? If so, what do you bring with you? I eat a lot of baked potatoes, salads, and soups - all very healthy and relatively inexpensive. All my old stand bys, like wraps and sandwiches, are off limits since I can't have gluten, so I am always looking for new ideas!
Yum that soup looks delicious! I am definitely an all year round soup person too.
ReplyDeleteI pack my lunch every single day- I alternate between veggie pizza, bread and veggies with hummus or peanut butter, soups, and sometimes rice bowls with beans and veggies- or leftovers. Today I went the hummus route with some dried mango for "dessert". I love packing my own lunch. Do you have a gluten free pizza dough you like because I highly recommend making a veggie and black bean pizza and then heating it up at work- makes an awesome lunch :)
If not for this post, I wouldn't know that making a healthy soup such as this is as easy as one, two, three. (Yes, you made it look so easy peasy :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't cooked a soup in my lifetime. Except macaroni soup. Really.
I'm a big fan of the microwave steamer veggies! I don't usually eat one meal but stuff throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteGluten free is challenging but probably better now then it was even just 5 years ago.
Kelly's suggestion of the veggie and black bean pizza sounds delicious!!
This soup recipe sounds great. I've never made carrot soup so I think I will have to give it a whirl. I have been trying to bring my lunch more and more, I usually go to the park to read. Leftovers of what ever I made for dinner the night before are the usual standby's but if not that, then typically a sandwhich or something along those lines.
ReplyDeleteI've made similar soups and sometimes I add a sprinkle of ginger or some saffron (when I feel luxurious). Or sometimes I leave the soup with minimal seasoning and instead top it with seasoned sour cream - I add cumin, sea salt, and cayenne to sour cream. The contrast and hot soup and cold cream is delicious!
ReplyDeleteI've never made a soup myself but this looks delicious! And those Amy's meals are fabulous when you're short on time - I picked up a Palak Paneer from the organic store last week and it was AMAZING :) We're trying to get back into cooking more (remember that resolution!!) - work has been so crazy we've gone from cooking together 4 nights a week to one or two every other week, and it's something I insist on dragging myself back to - I loved it, and it's so much more healthy. This looks so easy I think I may very well try it!
ReplyDeleteYummm looks good! I sometimes pack my lunch. My day tends to flip-flop around lunch time because that's when I'm racing from work to school so I got in the habit of just grabbing a veggie wrap at school. This summer I plan on jumping on top of MEAL PLANNING and packing a lunch every day!!
ReplyDeleteI just wish I could like carrots. I am not a picky eater, but there are two or three things I just cannot eat, and carrots are one of them. Well, except if you shred them and add a lot of sugar and yummy cake batter and cover them in cream cheese frosting. Then we're all good.
ReplyDeleteYes, I try to bring lunch every day for cost reasons. Usually, it's a salad, leftovers or a half sandwich and some fruit/veggies. Just depends on the grocery situation and what I'm feelin'. Always nice to have containers in the fridge full of easy leftovers to take to work with you!
ReplyDeleteThat looks delicious! I will have to try it. Unfortunately - it will never fly in my house as a "meal". I live with quite the carnivore! It could be the most protein-packed meal EVER, and Ryan will say "Uhm...you forgot the food."
ReplyDeleteI always pack lunches. Some of the things I bring include:
-Greek Vanilla Yogurt (yoplait version) with cut up apples to dip
-Big container of veggies with mustard
-black beans, cilantro, spinach, tomatoes, apple-cider vinegar - and it's kind of a salad
-And of course sandwiches, salads, and soups
I'm so glad your job worked out!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to make this! Thanks for providing such great pictures, I really appreciate these kind of illustrative aids when cooking as I'm almost always asking "is this what it's supposed to look like??" Yum!
ReplyDeleteI am not crazy about cooked carrots, but that soup looks delicious! I am a HUGE fan of soup.
ReplyDeleteDave and I both regularly have last night's leftovers as lunch. - stew, chilli, soup, chicken and rice, whatever we've had really!
ReplyDeleteI have been taking an exchange of salads and turkey sandwiches with the occasional lean cuisine frozen meal.. or dinner leftovers.. i have taken your suggestion of salsa and pretty much use it as my lunch dressing of choice.. i put it on in the morning and it soaks in waiting for me and is soo good.. and actually goes well with every vegetable i have mixed it with ha.. i also sometimes bring hummmus and dip veggies in it..
ReplyDeleteIt looks good but I hate adding OJ to carrot soup :S Idk, it's weird! My dad always used to do it and I just found it took away from the carrot taste - weird, I know!
ReplyDeleteOh and btw, do NOT put soup in a blender. There's some weird sciency reason for it but pretty much because of the hot air the top won't stay on and you'll get splashed with hot soup. I've experienced it, and it's not fun... lol!
ps: glad to see the sunday night dinners posts again, I love them!