A bright, gently spiced carrot soup that is just as useful when coriander is not your favourite herb. Make the base once and choose the flavour you enjoy.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 30 minutes | Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients
750 g carrots, scrubbed or peeled and sliced
1 onion (180 g), chopped
1 potato (150 g), peeled and diced
20 ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
900 ml vegetable stock
20 g fresh coriander, stalks and leaves separated and chopped
10 ml lemon juice, or to taste
Salt and black pepper
Method
Warm the oil in a large saucepan and soften the onion for 8–10 minutes.
Add the garlic, ground coriander and finely chopped coriander stalks. Stir for 1 minute.
Add carrots, potato and stock. Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook gently for 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are completely tender.
Remove from the heat. Add most of the coriander leaves and blend with a stick blender, keeping the blade submerged. Add water if too thick. Stir in lemon juice, season and reheat until piping hot. Scatter over the remaining leaves.
Variations and substitutions
For every coriander-free version, omit BOTH the ground coriander and fresh coriander. Ginger: add 15 g grated fresh ginger with the garlic and finish with lemon. Cumin: add 1 tsp ground cumin with the garlic and finish with parsley. Turmeric: use ½ tsp ground turmeric, ½ tsp cumin and 10 g grated ginger; add a little black pepper. Mild curry: use 1–2 tsp coriander-free curry powder, checking the ingredients because most curry blends contain coriander. For a creamy finish add 60 ml coconut milk and reduce the stock by the same amount.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
Freshly lifted carrots need scrubbing rather than thick peeling. Stored carrots are equally useful; trim dry ends and discard any that are rotten. Clean coriander stalks carry plenty of flavour. Flat-leaf parsley is a useful fresh garnish for the coriander-free versions.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze for up to 3 months, reserving fresh garnish until serving. Defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours of thawing and reheat once until piping hot throughout.
Explore our growing guides and From Garden to Kitchen guide. Plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph for serving inspiration.
