Carrot Soup

It was pouring when I left work yesterday. There was such a downpour that the RLA couldn't grill the steak that was waiting in the fridge for its moment of glory over the coals.* I would have broiled it, but the control panel on the oven blew, and I'm waiting on a replacement. I have a second oven, but (ok, little O/C behavior alert) I only use it for baking.
Some of my friends think I keep the oven for baking because I'm kosher. Nothing could be further from the truth. I keep it pure for baking because it keeps the flavors and aromas of my baked goods pure. No meat, no grease, nothing despoils the quality of my pies and cakes.

This inability to cook meat meant that I had to do a quick two-step and figure out an alternative dinner. Hmmmmmm. There is a 2-pound bag of rainbow carrots. I have fresh onions and garlic. A dozen fresh lemons are hanging around in the fruit compartment.

Off I run to the laptop, and three minutes later, I have found a recipe on Epicurious.

It was simple to make, and absolutely delicious. On a rainy night, there's nothing like a bowl of homemade soup. Here's the whole recipe, direct to you from the pages of Epicurious.

"CARROT SOUP

Root vegetables are a staple of Irish cooking. They often show up in soups, such as this one from The Courtyard in Schull, Ireland.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds carrots, peeled, sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled
5 whole cloves
4 cups (about) canned vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of sugar

1/4 cup chilled whipping cream

Chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, and cloves and saute until onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth. Cover and simmer until carrots are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Remove cloves from broth and discard. Puree soup in batches in blender. Return soup to same saucepan. Mix in lemon juice and sugar. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Thin to desired consistency with more broth. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Whisk cream in medium bowl just until slightly thickened, about 10 seconds.

Stir soup over medium heat until heated through. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle cream over. Top with parsley.

Serves 6

Bon Appetit
May 1996
Restaurant: The Courtyard; Schull, Ireland"

My variations were as follows: I used chicken broth (purchased) instead of vegetable broth. I did not garnish with whipped cream and/or parsley.

It barely served 2. There was maybe a single bowl left over.

On the Epicurious site, reviewers of this recipe reported excellent results from roasting the vegetables first.

* The RLA's "Indian Name" is Man Who Cooks With Open Fire