Carrot Soup

It's a bit cooler around here these days, but only a bit. Though I know that autumn is now upon us, here in the South it still feels a bit summery. However, it has been blustery the past couple of days, so I do believe that even cooler temps may be only a few weeks away.

In the spirit of autumn, I made a list this past weekend of autumnal food delights that must be prepared this season. I must cook more. Not only is it relaxing for me, it will be better for me in the long run, both physically and fiscally. It's not always easy when you're uber-busy. This semester seems to be just one, never-ending day so far, with more meetings and extra responsibilities and commitments than you can shake a stick at! But I digress. Back to the matter at hand.

I first hand this delectable soup in March 2007 whilst visiting the UK. It's a receipt of the Irish lass, who had some of the soup already prepared and in the freezer prior to my stay with her. It was divine with a bit of Dubliner cheese, a crust of bread, and a glass of wine. I had to have the receipt, and copied it into my travel journal later that evening whilst enjoying some custard cremes and a cuppa.

I like the receipt because, to me, you always seem to have more carrots than you need for a particular receipt, if you purchase an entire bunch, kind of like with celery. I always do buy a bunch of carrots, or a big bag of the so-called babies, and I think this dish makes good use of the remainders. In fact, it makes excellent use of them. And it's pretty to boot!

Carrot Soup

1/4 cup butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 pounds carrots, chopped
2 sprigs fresh tarragon
juice of an orange
juice of half a lemon
4 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt the butter until the foam subsides. Whenever sautéeing in butter, this ebbing of the foam is your cue to add your veg, in this case the onions and carrots. They're roughly chopped because the whole soup will be puréed later. Sauté these until the onions are translucent and soft. Throw in the sprigs of tarragon and the juices, then add the stock. Simmer the whole lot until the carrots are very tender, ensuring a smooth soup. Remove the tarragon sprigs. Purée the soup, either in batches in the blender or with an immersion blender, until velvety smooth. Adjust the seasoning.

Note: The original receipt calls for sautéeing fresh breadcrumbs and caraway seeds in butter as a topping for the soup. The Irish lass did serve it to me that way and it was delicious. When I had it her kitchen, we also shred a bit of the Dubliner cheese onto it. The cooking of the carrots makes them exceptionally sweet, so a bit of saltiness from the cheese or breadcrumbs, or a crust of delicious bread, compliments it well, I think. I adore sweet and salty together.

Do not forgo the tarragon sprigs. They impart the most wonderful, je ne sais quoi to this soup, which I think is always admired. I love having a taste of something wonderful in a dish that you can't quite put your finger upon.

You may also cream this soup, and I hope that you do. I do. I love cream. And I do mean real cream. There is no substitute for real cream. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Add a good slurp of cream after you blend the soup, being sure to check for seasoning after adding the cream. One can never be too sure.