TASTE
Chilled carrot soup worth turning on stove for
By Kerry McCray
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
It's 106 degrees. I think I'll make soup.
Yes, soup.
The hotter-than-hot days we've been enduring lately don't lend themselves to much, other than laying about and watching the Food Network, waiting for the heat to be over.
Moving is optional. Cooking is unthinkable.
But everyone's gotta eat. So, after a few nights of sandwiches for dinner, I got my act together and cooked something. My editor, who ever so politely asked that I pick a cold soup for this week's column, gave me the recipe — chilled carrot soup with dill.
The upside: It was sooo refreshing. The downside: I had to turn on the stove.
It looked like the perfect summer meal — healthy, light and flavorful. The carrot juice and cardamom promised sweetness; the lemon juice and ginger promised tang and spice.
When I braved the heat and went to the store all that promise went out the window. They didn't have carrot juice. Cardamom cost $11.49 per jar. What was I thinking?
I sent my husband to a second store for the carrot juice — and the white wine, which I forgot to buy in my heat-induced stupor — and set about making the soup.
Prep was easy, just a bit of slicing. I used the immersion blender to puree the soup, which took about three minutes.
I pretended not to notice the part of the recipe where it said to simmer for 20 minutes. There was no way I was going to keep the stove on that long.
Still, the finished product was everything you could hope for in a summer soup. Not too rich, not too creamy, but silky and sweet, with just the right amount of spice.
This recipe is a winner. Too bad you have to turn on the stove.
This recipe is from "300 Sensational Soups," by Carla Snyder and Meredith Deeds (Robert Rose, $23.95).
CHILLED CARROT SOUP WITH DILL
In a heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened, about six minutes. Add carrots and cardamom; saute for two minutes. Add wine and ginger; cook until wine has evaporated, about five minutes. Add carrot juice, chicken stock, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, or in a food processor or blender in batches, puree soup until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about three hours. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with dill.
Makes 4 servings.
