Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime

This recipe for Chilled Carrot Soup comes from my son... and if you are like me.. I honestly wrinkled my nose just a teeny bit when he told me about it... I love carrots but... carrot soup??? Well.. sure why not?... but chilled?? Well... I guess why not.... and so it went...

Okay..  so after being open-minded... I must tell you... the soup is delicious with its cumin, onion/garlic and lime flavors... a little kick from the crushed red pepper takes it up a notch...a perfect blend... a really refreshing soup!

The recipe is adapted from one he found from Epicurious. 

TIPS

Instead of leeks, he used mild yellow onions... both work well... the onions do add a bit more flavor...

He used plain non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream...  it gave a little more tang to the soup which was very nice... feel free to use either sour cream or yogurt.  He didn't use Greek yogurt this time but will in the future... either way.. all these options give the soup a wonderful flavor.

Another change he made with made the flavor a bit more robust is to use chicken stock instead of broth... stock tends to have a heartier flavor.  Again, both options work well.

The directions say to blend it in a blender, which worked well... I like to use my immersion blender... if you have one... you can use it instead of the regular blender.

Don't eliminate the lime.. it really makes the dish... a fabulous cool flavor for a hot summer day!

Try it.. you will love it!

Recipe:  Chilled Carrot Soup with Cumin and Lime

All you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds fresh carrots, peeled and chopped (about 5 cups)

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped *See TIPS

3-4 large garlic cloves, finely minced

3 1/2 teaspoons cumin

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6-7 cups chicken stock *See TIPS

1 small container (6 ounces) non-fat plain yogurt *See TIPS

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons grated lime peel

All you have to do:

In a large heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the onions and carrots and sauté about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add the garlic and continue to sauté for another minute.  Add the cumin and crushed red pepper and continue to sauté for a minute or so more.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 35-40 minutes.  Allow to cool a little.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender.  If using a regular blender and your soup is still warm, be sure to cover the blender with a towel.. any steam created can and will cause the top of the blender to pop off and can cause burns.. that's why I allow mine to cool before pureeing or I use my immersion blender.

As you puree the batches, pour the pureed soup into a large bowl.  Whisk in the yogurt and cover.  Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.  It is best chilled overnight.

Just before serving, stir in the lime juice.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of cilantro and grated lime peel.