I don’t know about you, but I always over eat during the holidays! Who can say no to the desserts and fantastic meals filled with all our holiday traditional recipes. And don’t even mention the cookies! So, it is about this time of year that I start cooking a little more healthier. This year I decided to lighten up the calories in our creamed soups. Instead of adding all the cream to get that creamy texture, I’ve decided to do what any French cook would do and puree the vegetables to get that creaminess. This carrot soup is loaded with flavor and is a great way to start a Healthy and Happy New Year!
French Style Carrot Soup 10 med to large Carrots 2 large Apples (I use Gala or Mackintosh apples - Something sweet not tart) 5 cloves of Garlic - You can just rough chop this Sprig of Rosemary (Remove the stem before you puree the soup) 1/2 cup onion (or one small onion) Diced 4 to 6 cups Broth- Chicken or Vegetable (you may not need all of this depending on the consistency you like.) 2 teaspoons Curry Salt and pepper to taste 1 cup light cream (optional) ( I used half and half) Plain Greek Yogurt (I use this to stir into the soup when I serve it - It is optional) - Peel and Chop Carrots into 1 inch pieces and put in a stock pot. - Cut apple into chunks and add to the pot. - Peel and Rough chop the garlic and add to the pot - Dice the onion and add it to the pot along with the rosemary sprig. - Add 2 cups of the broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to med low and allow to simmer until the carrots are soft. (You should be able to pierce them easily with a fork.) - Puree the soup ( I used a blender but a food processor or emulsion blender will do the trick.) - Add the remaining broth to thin the soup to the consistency that you like. I made my soup of medium consistency. - Add the Curry and Salt and Pepper to taste. Curry adds a bit of heat so you may want to add a bit more, but do it slowly and taste it with each addition. - Add cream if you are using It ( This gives the soup a little richness but it is not at all necessary.) - Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish by placing a dollop of Greek Yogurt on the top of the soup. -Lightly sprinkle the top with a touch of curry for presentation. - Serve Immediately. ENJOY!! Notes If using dried rosemary I would add about a teaspoon. I used White pepper instead of black pepper so I didn’t have the black specks in the soup. You can adjust the Curry to your liking. You may like more or less than I’ve suggested. This soup will keep in the Fridge for about a week and in the freezer for about 3 months. You may want to add more broth when reheating it. You can substitute 1 and 1/2 cups of apple cider for the apple. I think this recipe would be good with ginger instead of Curry. I will try that next time!
Enjoy! :)