Although it says “Creamy” in the title, there is no cream, just a bit of yogurt for the smooth texture. You can, of course, skip the yogurt and the soup will still be quite good, if a little sweeter perhaps. The tomato adds acid and brightens the flavors of the soup, while adding liquid as well. As to seasoning, this soup is amenable to so many different herbs it makes this a truly versatile dish. The vegetable garnish is optional, so this can be a quick and simple dish as well.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch carrots (Chantenay are good for this), cleaned and chopped, except ¼-cup, diced ¼-inch and reserved 2-3 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, juices saved ½ small white or yellow onion ¼ cup white wine 1 teaspoon, or to taste, fresh chopped thyme, marjoram, dill, or basil* Salt and pepper to taste 6-8 cups light vegetable stock or water or a mixture Olive oil as needed ½ to 1 cup plain yogurt or labne (Greek yogurt can be very tart, so avoid it for this recipe) -Optional- ½ cup each fennel, celery, summer squash, cut into ¼-inch dice, plus reserved diced ¼-cup carrot 2-4 green onions, whites sliced into 1/4-inch pieces, greens diagonally sliced very finely into 1-inch long pieces Myer lemon juice from half a lemon White balsamic vinegar and/or agave syrup if needed
METHOD:
Heat a 3 quart soup pot over medium heat. When hot, film the pan bottom with olive oil. When hot, add the carrots and toss to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, just until a little gold shows up on the carrots. Reduce heat a little and add the onions. Cook, without coloring the onions, until they are translucent and tender. Add the tomatoes and stir, then season with salt and pepper. Add the white wine and cook until it reduces 90%. If using thyme or marjoram, add it now.
Simmer vegetables, stirring to break up tomatoes, for 3 minutes. Add 6 cups of the stock/water and bring to a simmer. If it seems there are a lot of vegetables to liquid, add more liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender enough to break down when squeezed with thumb and forefinger, but not until they are mushy and just falling apart. When the carrots are tender, transfer to a blender and puree. Be careful when pureeing hot things as they expand in the blender and can spray out and make a huge mess, not to mention burning you. Fill ¾ full, cover the blender with a towel and start on low and work your way up to puree. Puree all the soup and return it to the rinsed out soup pot over low heat. Now is the time to add the labne or yogurt. Add ½ cup into the soup and whisk thoroughly to blend it in. Taste the soup, and if you wish, add the rest of it as needed. Keep the soup warm, but do not let it go past simmer at this point.
While the soup simmers before pureeing, bring a small amount of water to a boil and drop in the fennel and carrot dice for 30 seconds or so, just until they are no longer “raw”. Rinse with cold water.
Mix the diced vegetables, except the scallion greens in a bowl, tossing to combine well. If you wish, toss the vegetable dice with the lemon juice. Use just enough to moisten the vegetables, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
Place a quarter of this mixture, or as much as you like, into the center of four pre-heated bowl.
If using dill or basil, add it to the soup now and stir in. Taste the soup for balance. If it seems to “rooty” or a little bitter, add a drizzle of agave syrup and stir in, then taste. If the flavors seem too flat or sweet, add a little drizzle of vinegar, stir in, and taste for balance. Once flavors are adjusted, ladle it into the bowls gently so the vegetable mounds stay fairly together. Drizzle the surface of the soup with a little olive oil, then scatter some of the finely sliced scallion greens onto the center of the surface of the soup and serve.
Chef’s Notes: *When it comes to herbs, really, this soup can take so many different ones. Add soft herbs like dill or basil at the end, hardier herbs and spice blends go in earlier. This soup could take Middle Eastern herbs like cumin and coriander, or use Ras-el-Hanout or a curry. Herbes de Provence and maybe a few olives slivers added in, or saffron could work as well.
If you do not feel like taking the time to dice vegetables, you can easily skip that step and the soup will still taste good. Do not let the onions brown or the soup will taste pretty sweet and not as bright. For this reason, the carrots are only cooked to show a hint of color so they taste more like a bright raw carrot rather than a caramelized long-cooked carrot. You can also skip the yogurt if you wish, or just add a dollop to each serving, perhaps forming a quenelle and placing it on the vegetable mound before adding the soup.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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