Curried Carrot Bisque Recipe
A few weeks ago I did a class on “Spring Soups” at the new Love To Cook store in Ogden. One of the recipes was Curried Carrot Bisque, from my cookbook, “Soup’s On!” Carrots are available year-round in grocery stores, but I always think of carrots with the Easter bunny.
Sauteing the carrots over high heat brings out some of the vegetable’s natural sweetness. The dairy mellows the strong carrot flavor. To save fat and calories, you can use fat-free half-and-half or milk instead of cream.
So when does a soup become stew, or bisque or chowder? Here are some basic definitions, based on “The Food Lover’s Companion,” by Sharon Tyler Herbst. But, often the terms can be interchangeable.
Soup: Any combination of meat, vegetables, fruit, and/or fish cooked in a liquid.
Stew: A dish containing meat, vegetables with a thick broth made from the cooking liquid and natural juices of the food being stewed.
Bisque: A thick, rich soup usually consisting of pureed seafood and cream. (There’s no seafood in my Curried Carrot Bisque, but its thick, rich, and pureed, and it does have some cream in it!)
Chili: A spicy stew-like soup, usually flavored with chiles or chili powder.
Chowder: A thick, chunky soup, usually containing seafood.
Consomme: Thin, clear broth.
Gumbo: A thick stew that can include shellfish, meats, okra, tomatoes and onions. A Creole specialty, it is a mainstay of New Orleans cuisine.
CURRIED CARROT BISQUE
Prep time: 30 minutes
Makes about 6 1-1/4-C. servings
2-3 Tbsp. butter
1 C. frozen chopped onions
2 lbs. baby carrots
2 cans chicken stock
1-2 tsp. salt, to taste
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. mild curry powder
1 C. cream or half-and-half
1. Melt the butter in a 4-quart stockpot. Add the carrots and onion, saute over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring, until onions are translucent and carrots begin to brown on the edges. Don’t let them burn.
2. Add chicken stock, salt, sugar, garlic, and curry powder.
3. Cover the pot. Bring it to a gentle boil for 12-15 minutes, until carrots are tender.
4. Remove pot from the heat and stir in the cream.
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or in two batches in a stand blender. Don’t fill the blender more than half-full, and start on the lowest setting and then move to high, to avoid splashing.
Garnish with another swirl of cream and/or a sprinkle of nuts.