Thai Carrot Soup with Rice
Something else from my Sunday Fridge Cleaning. I found a bag of baby carrots that needed rescuing and some broccoli florets. I don't normally buy those kind of carrots because they're tasteless and remind me of amputated limbs. But I had made carrot cakes for Recovery Café and didn't want to deal with peeling. I ALMOST put the carrots in the compost, but had a pang of conscience and decided it wouldn't kill me to make something out of them. Loretta was sleeping and, amazingly, Wyatt had just fallen asleep on the couch watching Bolt. Perfect invitation for me to spend more time in the kitchen.
As always, Refrigerator Soup is helped by a well-stocked pantry. Several of you have asked me to start posting about pantry staples but I've been a little overwhelmed. Where to start? So instead of rolling out a whole program (and making you feel like you need to spend $500 to equip your pantry), I'll just start by listing things as they come up and making it part of my recipe index. (This is me trying to get away from the all-or-nothing propensity that has plagued me my whole life.) Coconut milk is the pantry staple that gave this soup what it needed. Asian markets in my neighborhood stock untold varieties (I don't have a favorite), often on sale for 79 cents. Yes--less than $1! I can't believe how much they charge for coconut milk in the grocery store. It wouldn't be in my pantry if I relied on Safeway to supply it. I add it to soups, pull it out for curries, or use it in smoothies with papaya and lime juice (not low-fat, but delicious).
I had a sterling day yesterday at the Korean spa with Bethany where we celebrated our June birthdays. This has been planned for a year (!!), and we both had that sense of "I-can't-believe-we-made-it-to-this-day." Especially Bethany, who was giving birth this time a year ago. I had assumed I'd miss dinner with my family, but they waited for me. I love that. Yancey had warmed up this soup, put some naan in the oven, and made rice. AND mowed the lawn. I should leave more often. So my sterling day was capped with that never-ending pleasure, family dinner. Wyatt and Loretta ate every last drop of their carrot soup, too, which surprised and delighted me.
Thai Carrot Soup with Rice
I threw the broccoli in here in true Leftoverist spirit. You could easily make it without broccoli, and the color would be even more vibrant. This is the sort of soup that is easy to adjust once you're "done." Add more lime juice, spiciness, fish sauce, brown sugar, salt, etc. to your liking, and YOU CAN'T RUIN IT! Or you can add more water if it's too thick, simmer longer if it's too thin, or even add the rice to the soup while cooking instead of scooping it on top. And you can give yourself a pat on the back for getting rid of those cumbersome carrots that have been knocking around in your produce bin. If you happen to have really good, fresh carrots around, you won't need as much brown sugar as I call for here--they will have more natural sweetness than these ones did.
2 Tb. vegetable oil
3 shallots or one small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 2" piece fresh ginger, grated
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 ts. ground coriander
1 lb. carrots, peeled, washed, and cut into 1" lengths (or smaller--the smaller you cut your carrots, the faster they will cook)
2 c. washed broccoli florets (optional--if you don't use broccoli, you can use more carrots)
2 ts. soy sauce
1 Tb. fish sauce
1 can coconut milk
Juice of one large or two small limes
4 Tb. brown sugar
Cooked rice and chopped cilantro for serving
Pour vegetable oil into a stockpot and let it get hot on medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, ginger, jalapano, and coriander. Saute until mixture is soft and fragrant, about 10 minutes. You can add a splash of water if things start to stick--you don't want things to burn or get too brown.
Add carrots, broccoli, and water to cover by about 2". Simmer everything together for about 30 minutes, or until carrots and broccoli are very soft. Take off heat, and puree mixture in batches using a food processor or blender.
Put pureed mixture back into your stockpot and add soy sauce, fish sauce, coconut milk, lime juice, and brown sugar. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until flavors are blended and it's bubbling a little around the edges. Now is the time to add whatever else your taste buds tell you is missing--more liquid, red chile flakes, salt, more lime, more sugar, etc.
Ladle into bowls, and put a scoop of hot rice in the middle. Top with chopped cilantro (and chile flakes, if you're me).
June 24, 2009
Reader Comments (25)
This looks amazing, Sarah. Thanks. All the best to the family.
Help! (Didn't know where else to leave this question) My lettuce froze in the fridge. How can I use it up?
Yum! I love these flavors. Great photo! I think soup is really hard to photograph well. I also love that spa - are you all nice and silky now? :) My family and I leave for a little over a week soon, but I'd really like to get together when we get back. Best to you.
Hello! I don't think we've "met." :) There are VERY limited uses for frozen lettuce, but I would probably do something like http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Lettuce-Soup-with-Croutons-242226" rel="nofollow">this
um..is it bad that i often buy those little peeled carrots and like them?! the trader joe's organic ones are always so sweet and yummy...and easy. there's my confession. about the soup...looks fantastic. how spicy is it? apparently not too spicy since w and l slurped it down. you know my family and spicy... i'm wearing my goodwill shirt find today. :)
oh my goodness! this is yummy! i just made it and had to run to the computer to post!
Bethany, i used the little organic peeled carrots from Trader Joe's. it's always on my list of things to stock up on. i'm not sure why when i rarely eat them. i guess it makes me feel healthier or it's one of those ingredients that is nice to have on hand...and it was!
amazingly, i had everything in my pantry except for the limes. i just went through a bag of lemons so added the last bit of it in there instead of limes. instead of using water i added chicken stock (i'm a salt freak). and next time i think i will cut back on the brown sugar. overall, it's fantastic and my son is asking to have dinner now! :)
Oohh! This photo is great and looks so nice with your banner. I can't wait to make this. I never have coriander or garam masala (what you call for in your sour chickpea curry) around, so instead I have been substituting cumin, even though I know I could get a better flavor if I would just get those spices to have on hand. They seem so expensive at Safeway. Do you buy your spices in bulk? PCC? Does PFI have bulk spices? Any tips?
Hey Naomi,
I bought the garam masala at Madison Market in bulk! Way cheaper and a great variety for a small shop.
Hey, thanks, Em!
I definitely do not buy spices at Safeway--I'll go without before I do that. I buy them at PCC or PFI. It's worth a trip to PFI to stock up every six months. Another thing--when I go, I don't just buy one or two spices for certain recipes I have in mind. I get whatever looks good, whatever I need to freshen up my spice rack, and then I always have stuff around for spontaneous recipes. I just get bits of things like garam masala (1/4 c. max) because they shouldn't sit around for more than six months anyway.
I'm with you Bethany. I bought "real" carrots for the first time this week after YEARS of not. And I think I might mean 15 years.
Re: Garam masala. I'd need a few cups for every six months. Hee hee. I need to replace my 4 pound tin of curry powder soon. Sigh.
Saw Michelle at the farmer's market tonight. She was buying carrots :)
You could easily leave the jalapeno out and make it not spicy at all...Then put chile flakes on yours!
This looks great. I love pureed soups like this, although my beloved hand blender took a turn for the worse recently. I s'pose I'll finally break down and buy fish sauce. You have such a knack for Asian flavors. Must be a west coast thing.
Hey Sarah,
We just got done slurping this down for dinner - rice and all. So nummy and I was excited that I had everything you used - even broc that needed to go quick. Which is weird in our house - Kev LOVES broc and I can't seem to keep enough in...we have another home study this Friday down in Redmond with Antioch - pray for us! Happy you had a nice birthday and time away getting pampered. Take care, Beth D
What a gorgeous soup! It looks so flavorful and I know my hubby would love it.
HEY Sarah... We adopted through Antioch, as it appears Beth is in the process of doing. Please feel free to put her in touch with me if it seems like the thing to do!
Your cooking is so out of my league. Seriously. I just don't have that in me.
Yes - would LOVE to get in contact...Sarah - feel free to send her our email...I am pretty sure you have it. If not, let me know and I will send you a quick note. :)
This is one darn good photo, It looked so good I wanted to make it PDQ and it is ony 6:00 in the morning.
Can't beat that for inspiration!
Thanks!
Said carrots went into your soup last night. Delish.
This looks beautiful and mouth-watering. The picture is to die for - it probably does much justice to the flavor. Yay for spas and great friends. Happy birthday again.
Hi-
I just discovered your site and I think we must share a set of taste buds - I want to make absolutely everything! Just wanted to say hi & let you know I love what you're doing - I'll be a regular reader for sure :)
Best, TSG (also a 'Sarah' in real life)
Hello, other Sarah! So happy to have you here.