Curried Carrot Soup - Potage Crécy With a Twist

What are you doing with your leftovers?

After the down home corned beef and cabbage dinners that we had here in the grey cottage AND at the local church hall this weekend, I wasn't sure if I would want potatoes, carrots or cabbage for a while. Today, however, our church friends put out the call about the leftovers from last night's dinner. I bit the bullet, grabbed a container of leftover carrots, and brought them home for this week's soup.  Once home, I went looking for my friend Dom's carrot soup recipe on his blog, Belleau Kitchen and dang! I can't find it! My other friend, Nancy told me about a carrot soup that she has made, so I fell back on that one ... she said she spiced it with a bit of curry.

Leftover carrots, here I come!

Seriously, a pound and a half of carrots will do the trick  ...

I followed a recipe for Potage Crécy that I found in Sarah Leah Chase's Cold Weather Cooking. I have left it to simmer for a good hour on the stove, zipped it with the immersion blender and added about one teaspoon each of Madras curry powder and white pepper. It's a beautifully smooth soup with just a bit of curry heat. Lovely ... and a nice change from the blandness of the corned beef carrots... a perfect use of leftovers! The other cool thing about this soup is its gluten free standing. There is a small amount of rice that serves as a thickener ... no flour roux at all.

Toughest part of making this soup is getting the clay pot up to heat to start a sauté

Potage Crécy is nothing more than a nice simmering pot of onions, carrots, a wee bit of tomato paste, chicken broth, rice, and butter ... it's cooked until the carrots, onions, and rice are close to mush. Then, it's puréed and lightened with some light cream. That's it! Simple and good... really. Simple. Good. Because it simmers for a good bit, I had time to make some simple biscuits to have with Sunday supper.

As the carrots soften, they rise to the surface... easy for doing a purée ...

Potage Crécy -printer friendly

Potage Crécy

courtesy of Sarah Leah Chase’s Cold-Weather Cooking

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 large onion, minced
3 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ c. raw white rice
2½ quarts chicken broth
1½ lbs. carrots, peeled and sliced into small chunks
1 c. heavy or whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
garnishes – carrot curls, sour cream swirl, fresh parsley leaves

Optional spices: added to taste

White pepper
Curry powder
Nutmeg
Cayenne pepper

Making the Soup:

1. In a deep stockpot or clay pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the minced onion, cooking until foamy and golden – about 5 minutes.

2. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter.

3. Turn in the tomato paste and stir to combine, cooking for one minute.

4. Gradually add the chicken broth and whisk the sou[p to incorporate the tomato paste/butter.

5. Add the carrots and bring the soup to a nice bubble. Lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the carrots are very soft.

6. Purée the soup, using an immersion blender.

7. Add the cream and swirl to incorporate, turn off the heat and add any spice you care … to taste.

8. Cover and let the spices work for a bit while you prepare the rest of your meal … salad, biscuits, rolls, whatever.

9. Serve with pretty garnishes and enjoy!

Warm Parmesan biscuits and soup

Make. Enjoy.