The overstuffed bus limps along, laboring through rush hour congestion, pausing to catch its breath at almost every street corner. It groans and wheezes as passengers filter out, the crowds gradually thinning as the street numbers increase, moving farther away from the bustle of downtown. Finally, finally, after an hour of holding my breath to squeeze in between the seasoned commuters, I finally stumble down the short staircase and roll out down the steep hill ahead. Darkness hasn’t yet settled in, but it looms ever closer, tugging insistently at the edges of overcast sky. Despite the howling wind, the pair of keys rattling in loose grasp is the only sound I can hear, so focused on getting in the door, getting back “home,” and just being able to unwind.
These are only my first days of school, on campus again for the first time in over five years, and they’ve already taken a lot of out me. In such moments of utter exhaustion, creative cooking is the last thing on my mind, but a girl’s still gotta eat. Working to extract the maximum amount of flavor out of a minimum of ingredients and time, a new sort of “comfort food” emerges, and this seemingly bare carrot soup is one shining example. If you have carrots, you can have soup. Thanks to my friends over at So Delicious, I had the opportunity to try out their new aseptic Culinary Coconut Milk, which is every bit as handy and shelf-stable as the canned variety, but a more environmentally friendly package.
The results are nothing mind-blowing or particularly innovative, but a quiet sort of comfort food that just seems to fit the occasion. Sometimes that’s all we need, right?
Spicy Carrot Soup
Creamy coconut milk balances out the heat in this very simple soup. If you have carrots and a well-stocked pantry, you can enjoy this naturally sweet, spicy combination in an instant.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
- 2 Cups Water
- 11-Ounce Aseptic Carton or 14-Ounce Can Full Fat Coconut Milk
- Salt and Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons Sriracha
- Fresh Parsley, for Garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add carrots and onion and saute until the onions are lightly browned and aromatic. Pour in the water and coconut milk, bringing the mixture to a boil before reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are fork-tender; about 25 – 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender or traditional standing blender to thoroughly puree the soup until entirely smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and sriracha to taste, thinning with additional water if necessary.
- To serve, top bowlfuls with a final drizzle of sriracha for an extra kick of spice, plus fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Notes
The soup can be made up to a week in advance when stored in an airtight container.
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 315Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 437mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g
I love your description of the bus. I felt like I was there!
Great intro and great recipe! It is hard to create something after a long day.
I hope it’s going wonderfully, my dear. Very proud of you. I’m here if you ever want to talk :) xo
Thank you so much. A chat might be lovely… Let me know when you have time. (Maybe over the weekend?)
Quite busy this weekend but it could be possible – let me know when you’ll be free? x
Beautiful presentation! The colors are so vibrant!
Very clever, So Delicious. Very clever, indeed. I hope you’re doing well and aren’t feeling too overwhelmed. Looking forward to hopefully seeing you next month! <3
I usually comment on your food (which looks delicious) but this time it’s the writing that has captured my imagination. Beautifully descriptive!
Oooh nice! I just made a corn chowder with coconut milk, and only so I’d have it around and don’t have to think of anything to cook!
Hello Miss Hanna, I love the way you think.. This recipe is very new for me and looks amazing! definitely gonna try these. Thanks for the lovely share.. xx
A great intro & what a tasty superb soup recipe! beautifully presented too! xxx
Your bus journey was exactly like mine today – sitting in traffic for two hours, pretending to sleep :P
This soup must have been welcome haven for you, your photography of it looks stunning!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
And a huge “AMEN” to that Ms Hannah! :)
Sounds soup-er, Hannah, and my husband will love the touch of Sriracha. All the best with school!
janet
A lovely written post! Love the look of this carrot soup. I haven’t made one yet cause I have only recently fallen in love with carrots. Gotta try this out soon.. It sure looks comforting!
I love the way you wrote your intro Miss Hannah, I haven’t tried this Spicy carrot soup before and it seems so delicious and healthy, I guess it’s time to try it!
The writing totally set the mood for seeing your beautifully shot bowl of soup. :-)
stunning photography, i’ve just had dinner and the photo is making me hungry again!
What a beautiful colour to the soup – a perfect antidote to too much travel and grey days!
Wow! Your soup looks very beautiful! Thanks for sharing.
I like your style. And the parsley garnish in your photo is beautiful. =)
The introduction is great, so do the soup. Can’t wait to try this! thanks for sharing.
Looks superb! And I LOVE coconut milk/cream! All the best with school! xx
We made this for dinner tonight and liked it. We added a little kale to the onion and carrots and eased the sriracha back to 1 tsp because we’re wimps.
Excellent! This soup could certainly use a bit of greenery to balance it out a bit and make it a more complete meal. I always love hearing about your modifications. :)
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That soup looks wonderful! And I didn’t know you were back to school full time!?
Your presentation is always perfect! Make me want to make a soup!
This will be the perfect soup to make for my next camping trip. I guess kids will love this. Has anyone tried this? How about adding some bacon bits to it.