What's Orange and Stick-y?

Carrots! ...until you puree them into a soup

Now with my husband working from home, we've been eating lunch together everyday.  At first I felt compelled to cook or organize something for that meal, which until then had been a haphazard compilation of  leftovers and simple things the kids would eat (they only eat simple things).  That got overwhelming quickly, so I toned it down again.

So now that Brett's been working downstairs for a few months, we've fallen into a new pattern of having fresh bread and splitting a can of soup for lunch, pretty much daily, and the kids continue with their usual simple things.

Going through all those cans of soup gave me the idea to make up a bunch of a few different kinds of soups and freeze them in quarts, so we can have a good rotation going, but mostly eat homemade food [and save money].

So last week I cooked and simmered and cooled 18 quarts of 6 different kinds of soup. Then yesterday, at long last, I made the final forgotten soup at the end of the list, of which I am proud of getting to before
A) the soup-craze motivation wore off and
B) my ingredients spoiled.

So without further ado, I present Creamy Carrot Soup.  

For the record, Ree Drummond is my hero and inspiration--her blog is hilarious and her recipes delicious!

I substituted vegetable broth, because that was in the cupboard,
and the chicken broth was all the way downstairs
Plus, it lends a rounder, sweeter taste to dishes when chicken broth make them more savory.
Also, milk and heavy cream to make half-n-half.

 Peel 8 large carrots.

I like to have a big plate or bowl for all the peels and parts when processing veggies or meat or whatever, makes it simpler.

And when I remember, being right-handed, its a more natural flow to have the garbage plate on the left side of my cutting board, saves some extra movements, which add up when you're chopping a lot of stuff, like for multiple freezer meals, which will be another post.

And also, I bought at 5lb bag of large carrots for the price of a bag of baby carrots and have used them in all the other soups I made, plus cutting them into matchsticks for the kids (they like their veggies small)--I feel proud of that stretched dollar...now to just keep peeling and matchsticking carrots all week, what a bore!

Uh-oh.
The hobbits are on to me.
Carrots are their new favorite food all of a sudden.
Sure, I'll play along.

Bought them off with a few carrot rounds.

Crush the garlic a bit with the flat side of a knife before peeling, makes the peel come off easier.

Then your sister, Juli, calls and you think, "Hey, I am a modern woman, I can multitask"
That's when you absentmindedly mince the garlic instead of putting it through the garlic press.
Princess Celestia was witness to my folly.

Now that your carrots and garlic are in a stockpot,
put on your favorite Little Mermaid swimsuit and zest a lemon!

Add 1.5 cups of your most convenient broth and...

Simma down now! [for about 20 min]

Don't forget your lid, we're not going for a reduction here.

Take a break for piggy-back rides...

Then squeeze the juice of half a lemon.

Grate 1/4 tsp nutmeg.
There are some spices that are comparable pre-ground vs grinding yourself.
Nutmeg is phenomenal when freshly ground, such a strong aroma and full-bodied flavor!
I highly recommend!

Mmm...take a minute to stop and smell the nutmeg.

Measure out Half-n-half.
Add salt and pepper to nutmeg.
Now these are these are ready to go into the carrots, but not yet.

20 min have passed, and your carrots are tender and your pot looks like this.
Here, I give you the maiden voyage of our new immersion blender!

The term "maiden voyage" reminds me of this:

"Take her to sea, Mr. Murdoch. 

Let's stretch her legs."

Which, in turn, reminds me of this:
Caution: language

Tee-hee.
...now where were we?

Blend those carrots.
To death!
Or at least until they're nice and smooth.
Oh, how smooth they will be!

 Add those things from earlier: Half-n-half, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Heat until warmed through.

And enjoy!

Man, this was good soup.  Despite being soup for kids, our kids didn't really dig it, but then they have a small list of foods they willingly eat these days.
I was most amazed at the creaminess mixed with the lemon.
Usually when I add lemon juice or zest to dishes, its good but is definitely acidic,
but this was really smooth and mellow!
And the nutmeg kind of enhanced the lemon and carrot flavor, but was very muted in the background--I wouldn't have been able to pick out what the spice was, had I not know it was in there.

So I will definitely make this again--its unusual but mellow, a great way to add variety to your soup rotation!


Creamy Carrot Soup for Kids
by Ree Drummond

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Serves: 6


8 whole Large Carrots, Peeled And Sliced
1-1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (I used Vegetable broth)
2 cloves Garlic, Pressed (I accidentally minced, but they blended well later on)
1 whole Lemon, Zested
1-1/2 cup Half-and-half
Lemon Juice To Taste
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or Regular Salt To Taste)
Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Fresh Herbs (I didn't have these, so they must not have been important)

Preparation Instructions

Simmer carrots with chicken broth, garlic, and lemon zest for 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat.
In a blender, blend carrots and broth until smooth. Add in half & half and juice of 1/2 lemon. Stir to combine. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste, checking seasoning as you go.

Pour back into pan and heat soup until just warm, then serve in bowls, garnished with basil.