Carrot & Potato Soup

 

It is a bright sunny day out there today, but it is still really cold. Soup weather continues.  I had spied a lovely looking carrot & potato soup recipe on a page called The Clever Meal and I was keen to make it. It looked really delicious. 

Carrots & Potatoes are two of my favorite vegetables. Not only that, but this looked like a very economical soup to make.  Quick, economical and delicious. A trifecta of must have's in today's very volatile economy.  It seems like every time I go to the store, everything has gone up a dollar.  I'm not kidding!

Any way that I can save money and still eat well is a plus for me!

   

 

As simple to make as it is delicious, there are also some ways you could amp up this soup to make it even heartier without increasing the cost of it too much. Here are some delicious suggestions (Bear in mind that you may need to add a bit of additional stock):

1. Add a few more vegetables, such as green beans or corn, or even frozen mixed vegetables. You could also add a handful of kale or spinach. This would not only add some iron, but also color.

2. Adding a can of drained and rinsed beans or lentils would up the protein factor and make it even heartier.

3.  You could add some cooked rice or barley.

4.  A handful of cheese grated on top of each serving of the finished soup would add a bit of cheeky richness.

You can see just how very versatile this basic and delicious soup really is!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CARROT & POTATO SOUP

Just a few very basic ingredients. It's not complicated.

• 1/2 TBS butter
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
• 1-pound (450g) carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1-pound (450g) potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• coarse black pepper and sea salt or kosher salt to taste
• 2 1/2 cups (600ml) vegetable stock
• fresh parsley to garnish

 

The original recipe used all butter or all oil. I decided to use half of each. I wanted the nuttiness flavor from the butter, but I also did not want it to burn. Oil keeps it from doing that.

I chopped all of my vegetables coarsely.  I left some of the potato in larger chunks so that the soup would have a bit of substance when done.

I used Better than Boullion stock concentrate. It has a lovely flavor.

I did not have fresh parsley and so used freeze dried.

I did not add any salt or pepper until the end and then only on my own serving. The soup had a lovely flavor even without any seasoning.

 

HOW TO MAKE CARROT & POTATO SOUP

This is probably one of the easier soups to make. There is a lot of prep cutting up the vegetables, but once you have done that, this soup is a real doddle.

Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 top 60 seconds until fragrant.

Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, herbs and some seasoning. Give everything a good stir, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover tightly.

Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 

Leave to cool slightly. Remove 1 cup of the soup and blitz carefully in a blender until smooth. Stir back into the soup. (Alternately you can use a stick blender and just blitz for a few seconds. You want some smooth and some chunky.)

Reheat gently. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

 

Notes

TO FREEZE: Ladle the soup into suitable freezer containers. Cover tightly, label and freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Gently reheat in a saucepan on the stove. You may need to add a bit of hot stock.

This soup will keep, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for three to four days. It may thicken but just add a bit of hot stock to thin it out to your desired consistency.

For all of the simplicity of its ingredients this was a deliciously filling and hearty soup. I enjoyed a nice big bowl of it along with some toasted and buttered sour dough bread. It went down a real treat!

I would make this soup again.  I am sure you could easily cut the recipe in half if you wished to, but I have never found it a bad thing to have individual servings of soup frozen, ready to take out and reheat when you are in need of a delicious meal but don't have a lot of time to cook!

  

Tis the season for soup!  That is one thing I really love about the winter months. Here are a few other soups that you might enjoy that are also very economical!

STONE SOUP - Stone Soup was one of my children's favorite stories when they were growing up and so this simple cabbage, tomato and rice soup became known as Stone Soup. It's a deliciously hearty testament to what can be done with a bit of this, a bit of that, and a whole lot of nothing!  

BAKED POTATO SOUP - This potato soup is a delicious bowl filled with all the comfort food goodness of a loaded baked potato. Rich and belly warming, this is sure to become a favorite! What's not to like about a rich and creamy soup that is loaded with cheddar cheese, crisp bacon, sour cream and spring onions?? Nothing that's what! 

Yield: 4 generous servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Carrot & Potato Soup

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 29 MinTotal time: 39 Min

Economical, easy to throw together and really delicious. This is a fabulous soup that you will love. It also freezes very well.

Ingredients

• 1/2 TBS butter
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 stick celery, trimmed and chopped
• 1-pound (450g) carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1-pound (450g) potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried parsley
• coarse black pepper and sea salt or kosher salt to taste
• 2 1/2 cups (600ml) vegetable stock
• fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 top 60 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, herbs and some seasoning. Give everything a good stir, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover tightly.
4. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Leave to cool slightly. Remove 1 cup of the soup and blitz carefully in a blender until smooth. Stir back into the soup. (Alternately you can use a stick blender and just blitz for a few seconds. You want some smooth and some chunky.)
6. Reheat gently. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

TO FREEZE: Ladle the soup into suitable freezer containers. Cover tightly, label and freeze for up to six months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Gently reheat in a saucepan on the stove. You may need to add a bit of hot stock.

Did you make this recipe?

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