Carrot soup is a classic for Rosh Hashanah. One year I cooked some with harissa and coconut and my husband said it was the best soup he ever tasted. There's a slightly different version in my cookbook, The Modern Kosher Kitchen.
But I'm always trying new recipes -- because for us, carrot soup is beyond holiday festive. It's a healer, a comforter. Ok, not like chicken soup. But still -- it's a dish I make for new moms or when someone isn't feeling up to par or when anyone I know is a little grumpy or sad.
This carrot soup recipe welcomes even before you taste it with its scent of cloves and cinnamon. I used Aleppo pepper for heat, but if you don't like spicy, you can leave it out.
CARROT SOUP WITH CLOVES AND PEPPER (P)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 pound carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium all-purpose potato, peeled and chopped
- 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
- 6 whole cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or crushed red pepper)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until softened. Add the carrots, potato, ginger, cloves, cinnamon stick and Aleppo pepper. Stir to mix the ingredients. Pour in stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick. Puree the soup. Add the coconut milk, stir to blend the mixture until it is uniform in color and heat through.
Makes 4-6 servings