Carrot-Orange Soup with Toasted Cashew Garnish
Submitted by angelface11281
Creamy carrot-orange soup pureed with fresh orange juice, tomato paste, honey, and rice for body, topped with toasted cashews. A velvety blended soup with bright citrus flavor.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis carrot soup gets its gorgeous color and bright flavor from a full cup of fresh orange juice blended right into the puree. Carrots and orange are a natural pairing, and the citrus lifts what could be a heavy, one-note soup into something vibrant and balanced.
Rice simmered into the broth is the thickening trick here. It cooks until very soft, then purees into the soup, giving body and silkiness without flour or heavy cream. The original recipe called for heavy cream, but evaporated skim milk works as a lighter substitute that still adds richness. Tomato paste deepens the color and adds a savory backbone that keeps the soup from tipping too sweet.
Toasted cashews on top add a buttery crunch that contrasts the smooth soup beautifully. Don’t skip the garnish.
Kitchen Tips
- Cook the rice until it’s very soft, almost falling apart. That’s how it purees into a smooth, invisible thickener.
- Fresh orange juice makes a real difference here. Bottled juice works but tastes flatter and less aromatic.
- Taste before adding the optional nutmeg, brandy, and cayenne. If your carrots are sweet and flavorful, you may not need them. If the soup tastes a little flat, those extras bring it to life.
- Strain after blending for a restaurant-quality silky texture. A fine mesh sieve catches any fibrous carrot bits the blender missed.
Variations
- Vegan version: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and coconut cream instead of evaporated milk.
- Ginger-carrot-orange: Add a thumb of fresh ginger to the simmering pot for a warming, spicy edge.
Ingredients
Directions
*note: original recipe called for ½ cup heavy cream.
In a 10 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
Add onion and sauté until it starts to soften, about 3 minutes.
Transfer the sauté to a soup pot with broth, honey, carrots, tomato paste, and rice.
Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium low and let simmer, covered for 30 minutes or until the rice is quite soft.
Transfer soup to a blender and purée with the orange zest and juice, cream, and salt and pepper.
Taste. If carrots are flavourful enough, you won’t need anything else, but if its not quite there, add nutmeg, brandy and cayenne to taste.
For extra smoothness, you may strain the soup after pureeing.
Return the soup to the pot and reheat, watching closely to prevent burning.
Taste. If its too thick, thin with additional broth.
Serve with toasted cashews as garnish.
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