Carrot Soup with Parsley Almond Pesto
An easy to make, smooth-textured carrot soup gives you all the healthy benefits of carrots, without cream or milk.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter
- 2 pounds (900 g) carrots peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar honey or maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 6 cups (1.5 l) water or vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pesto:
- 1 bunch Italian flat-leaf parsley
- ½ cup (125 g) sliced almonds toasted
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds optional
- ½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt
- ½ cup (50 g) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan until butter melts. Add the carrots, onion, celery, salt sugar and coriander. Stir the vegetables around and cook until they begin to release liquid and become softened, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in 6 cups water or vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Cook about 15 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Remove from the heat and cool for a bit, then puree the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Stir in lemon juice and taste for salt.
To make the pesto
- Reserve a few parsley leaves for the garnish and chop the rest in a small food processor until finely chopped. Add all but 1 tablespoon of the almonds and pulse until the nuts are finely chopped and the mixture forms a paste. Add the fennel seeds, olive oil, salt to taste and the cheese and pulse to combine.
To serve
- Serve the soup with a spoonful of pesto and sprinkle with remaining parsley leaves and almonds.
Notes
- Use any leftover pesto within a day or two, tossed with roasted vegetables or spread on a warm crostini.
- To make this vegan, substitute the butter with coconut oil or use all olive oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 652kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 13gFat: 53gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 941mgPotassium: 996mgFiber: 11gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 38758IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 316mgIron: 2mg