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Demo: Carrot Coconut Ginger Soup

Today was one of the first days reminding us that fall isn’t far off, so this delicious carrot soup really hit the spot. Its Indian flavors are subtle and pleasantly rich from coconut milk and jasmine rice. The beautiful carrots were grown locally at Arethusa Farm in the Intervale and are really the star of the show with their terrific deep yellow-orange color and delicate sweet flavor.

Start by chopping the leek, onion and garlic, sauteeing them in a couple tablespoons of canola oil while preparing the carrots. Add carrots, stir and cook for several minutes until the carrots no longer look quite so raw. Add rice, ginger, your vegetable stock and coconut milk. For a quick and flavorful stock, I often use Better Than Bouillion Vegetable base which comes in a jar and will keep for a very long time in the refrigerator. For each cup of water, use one teaspoon of  bouillion, being careful to adjust the salt called for as the bouillion contains a fair amount of salt. For an extra rich taste, today I used regular rather than light coconut milk, although this soup is just as delicious using the lighter version to save a few calories. Sweet paprika and turmeric are added for their flavor as well as enhancing the brilliance of the orange, perhaps coincidentally. Once the carrots are nicely soft and the rice is cooked, puree the soup using either a hand-held immersion blender or in batches using a table top blender. One of my favorite kitchen tools is an immersion blender, as it saves so much in time and cleanup when making pureed soups. As always, taste and adjust salt if needed. Garnish with a bit of chopped fresh cilantro; the bright green cilantro on top of the bowl of orange soup is really beautiful. What a great way to warm up!

As the seasons change, so will the featured recipes at the demo counter and the recipes in our recipe racks. We feature local, seasonal produce in dishes that celebrate the four seasons we are so lucky to experience here in Vermont. We are excited about upcoming local apples and winter squash!

Happy Cooking!                                                                                                                                                                                                         Gerda, Demo Coordinator