I always have a big bag of carrots in the fridge–whether to eat with a bit of hummus as a snack, to chop and add into a salad for lunch, or include in a nice soup like this one, carrots are so good for us, have a great sweet flavor and really add a nice brightness to whatever you are making. With a bottle of carrot juice leftover from a previous carrot dish I made, I decided to make a lovely carrot soup flavored with a bit of orange zest and orange juice for a ‘pop’ of flavor, as well as a bit of ricotta cheese for creaminess. (It’s not necessary to buy a bottle of carrot juice just for the soup, but it really does add a nice richness and intense carrot flavor to the soup itself.) I like to top this soup with fresh dill because in general, dill and carrots are a match made in culinary heaven.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Carrot & Orange Soup
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 lb. carrots, chopped into 1/2 inch rounds
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- zest of 1 navel orange
- Juice of 1 navel orange
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup carrot juice
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- Fresh dill, for serving
Directions:
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, melt the butter along with the oil over medium heat. Add in the chopped carrots, onions, garlic and orange zest. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring often, or until the onions are translucent and cooked through. At this point, add in the wine an orange juice. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the carrot juice and stock, and cook over medium-low heat for an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender. Reduce the heat to low and add in the ricotta cheese. Stir in, and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from the heat and with an immersion blender, blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve warm with fresh dill as a garnish.
Tagged: carrot and orange soup, carrot juice, carrot soup, fresh dill, garlic, onion, orange juice, orange zest, ricotta cheese, soup, white wine
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