This soul-warming soup gets its lovely orange hue from the puree of sliced carrots as well as a pinch of saffron threads; and while we are on the subject of ‘orange’, the soup gets its lovely orange taste from a squeeze of fresh orange juice. To enrich the warm carrot soup , I like to stir in creamy ricotta cheese before serving each bowl with a sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves. A nice sub for ricotta cheese would be whole milk Greek yogurt, creme fraiche, or even some decadent mascarpone cheese.
(To view this recipe click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Creamy Carrot Soup with Orange & Saffron
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 lb. carrots, cut into rounds
- salt and pepper
- Pinch of saffron threads
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 cups organic, low-sodium chicken stock
- Juice of 1 large orange OR 4 small tangerines
- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- fresh thyme, for serving
Directions:
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, melt the butter along with the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onions, garlic and carrots; season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of black pepper. Saute over medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
- Add in the wine and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add in the stock and saffron threads, then reduce the pot to a simmer. Cook the carrots for approximately 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Puree the soup either with an immersion blender or in a blender. Stir in the orange juice and the ricotta cheese off of the heat. Taste, and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with fresh thyme, if desired.
Tagged: carrot soup, carrots, chicken stock, creamy carrot soup, fresh thyme, onions, orange juice, ricotta cheese, saffron, saffron and orange carrot soup, saffron threads, soup, tangerine juice
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