Lightly spiced carrot soup

Ingredients

• 8 carrots, washed peeled and chopped into chunks
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 t each of salt and pepper
• 2 T fresh rosemary
• 1/4 t cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup Arborio or other short grain rice
• 4 cups water
• A squeeze of fresh lemon juice and any salt and pepper if needed to taste

Method

• Heat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
• Spread chopped carrots into a roasting pan, cover with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix to coat the carrots.
• Roast for 30 minutes, turning once, to get a nice browned / caramelised finish.
• Remove carrots from oven and add to a large pot, along with the rosemary, rice, cayenne and water.
• Bring to a bowl and then simmer for 20 minutes.
• Cool and use an immersion blender or other type of mixer to combine into a soup – add a little extra water to bring to your desired consistency if you like a thinner soup (I prefer mine thicker and a little chunky!).
• Season with additional salt and pepper to your taste. Serve with bread or sandwiches, with a little cream, yoghurt or butter swirled into the soup if you fancy.

About this recipe

We are at the time of the year known fondy in Wellington as ‘Sh*tsville,’ subject of much discussion and inquiry. Otherwise known as Spring, it is the time of year when although you might expect calm, brightening days and a general improvement in warmth, what you actually get is a true smorgasbord of all seasons of the year, often within the space of hours. This is the time of year where you can still find yourself feeling cold and sheltering from the weather as you watch all of the new blooms getting smashed into your windows by gale force winds. And so, this is the perfect time of year for something warming and bright, but not so heavy as to seem more like winter fare. I’ve been making this bright, spicy carrot soup for years – the cayenne adds a nice depth and warmth, with the fresh rosemary and squeeze of lemon providing a nice contrast to the sweetness of the roasted carrots. But the best thing of all is the quarter cup of Arborio rice! Don’t skip this – it makes the soup surprisingly creamy, and it really adds substance and weight to the soup, making it comforting and substantial.

I have been enjoying this recently alongside a toasted sandwich, and it’s also very enjoyable with swirl of plain yoghurt and a couple of boiled eggs on the side. If you are needing a little respite from Shitsville or just lift in general, give this a go….most definitely with the rice!