Local Cooking at Home: Chilled Curried Carrot Soup

Now that the CSA season is upon us and local farmers’ markets are burgeoning, we are delighted to have LES resident and chef Carlin Greenstein contributing a weekly seasonal recipe. Her recipe for chilled curried carrot soup is below; for more ideas, read the Local Cooking at Home archives here.

Carrots are a staple food in our house. My husband loves them cut into sticks for snacking, and depending upon the season, I like to roast them or shred them into salads. With this intense hot weather, I decided to make a chilled soup that would feel good in the body and save us from turning on the heat in the kitchen. For the best flavor, buy freshly picked carrots from your local farmers’ market.

After debating the different directions for complementing the carrots (dill? mint? orange?), I decided to add coconut milk to give it some richness, some curry for a little kick and a generous squeeze of lime to brighten it.  This soup is super simple to make, yet complex enough to impress your dinner guests.

Chilled Curried Carrot Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup scallion, chopped finely

1 small onion, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated finely

1 tablespoon curry powder

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 to 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, more to taste

Sliced scallions for garnish

In a large heavy saucepan, warm the oil. Add the chopped scallion, onion, fresh ginger and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste over moderately low heat until softened. Add carrots and broth. Simmer covered for 20 minutes, or until carrots are very soft. In a blender, purée mixture in batches with coconut milk until very smooth. Add lime juice and chill soup several hours or overnight.

As desired, thin soup with water and season with additional lime juice, salt and pepper.  Garnish with sliced scallions.

Yield: 6 cups

Carlin Greenstein has been creating healthy, seasonally inspired menus as a private chef for 14 years. After receiving her masters degree from New York University in Food Studies and Nutrition, Greenstein completed her certification in Holistic Health and Wellness. She runs a small business, “Chew on This,” promoting local and seasonal eating.