Creamy Carrot Soup

A chilled curried carrot soup that lands somewhere between a starter and a vichyssoise alternative. Steamed carrots and Golden Delicious apple purée with bouillon broth into a velvety base, then warm spices, curry, cinnamon, and a touch of brown sugar, lift it from sweet to savory.

The apple is the secret. It melts into the purée invisibly, providing natural sweetness that lets you skip most of the sugar a typical carrot soup needs to balance the vegetable’s starchiness. It also adds body without cream or butter.

Steaming rather than boiling keeps the carrots’ deep orange color vibrant. Boiled carrots leak their pigment into the cooking water and end up paler.

Pro Tips

• Use a sweet eating apple like Golden Delicious or Fuji, sour apples (Granny Smith) need extra sugar to balance
• Bloom the curry powder briefly in a dry pan before adding to the soup, raw curry powder tastes harsh and dusty
• Chill thoroughly before serving, an hour minimum, the flavors merge as the soup cools
• Adjust salt after chilling, cold blunts seasoning and what tasted balanced warm may need a pinch more

Variations

• Serve warm in colder months with the same flavor profile, no chilling required
• Swap curry for a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger for a brighter, less complex flavor
• Stir in coconut milk in place of yogurt for a vegan finish