Cream of Carrot Souo

Smooth as velvet and the color of sunshine, this cream of carrot soup leans on classic French technique to turn humble carrots into something elegant. It starts by sweating onions gently in butter, taking care not to brown them, which keeps the soup sweet and clean rather than caramelized and muddy.

A quick roux comes next. Two minutes of cooking the flour in the butter gives the finished soup a smooth body and a gentle thickness without weighing it down.

Then carrots simmer in stock until tender, get pureed, and, here’s the step that sets it apart, pushed through a sieve. Straining removes every last fiber, leaving a soup that’s flawlessly silky.

A swirl of cream at the end rounds it into something rich and comforting. Adjust the thickness with a little extra stock to suit your spoon.

Chef Tips

• Sweat the onions low and slow without color. Browning them would tint the soup and dull its bright, sweet carrot flavor.
• Cook the flour for a full two minutes before adding liquid, or the soup can taste of raw flour.
• Don’t skip the strain. Pushing the puree through a sieve is what gives this soup its luxurious, restaurant-smooth texture.
• Add the cream off a hard boil and just warm it through. Boiling cream hard can cause it to separate.

Variations

• Add a knob of fresh ginger or a pinch of curry powder with the carrots for a warming, spiced version.
• Use vegetable stock and coconut milk in place of chicken broth and cream for a dairy-free, vegan bowl.