Recipe: Carrot-Ginger Soup with Curried Croutons
Description: This warm and comforting soup is a perfect for cool weather. The ginger in the soup delivers a nice little kick and the curried croutons add great flavor and crunch. If you'd like to make the soup dairy free, replace the melted butter for the croutons with olive oil and omit the butter that's blended into the soup.
Ingredients: [{"text": "2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil"}, {"text": "1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped (about 4 cups)"}, {"text": "1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)"}, {"text": "1-inch piece peeled and grated fresh ginger (about 1 teaspoon)"}, {"text": "1 clove garlic, chopped"}, {"text": "Kosher salt"}, {"text": "Cracked black pepper"}, {"text": "1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk"}, {"text": "4 tablespoons unsalted butter"}, {"text": "4 slices bread (country, wheat or sourdough)"}, {"text": "2 teaspoons curry powder"}]
Instructions: Place a baking rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots turn bright orange, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are completely tender, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the croutons: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Remove the crust from the bread and cut the slices into 1/2-inch cubes. Toss the cubes with the melted butter, curry powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pinch pepper. Spread the bread over the prepared baking sheet and bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
Once the carrots are tender, transfer the soup to a blender in two batches. Add 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter to each batch and blend until smooth. Reheat the soup if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot topped with the croutons.
