Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe | Vegetarian Soup Recipe Ideas

I had come across a question some time back on how to thicken a soup.  One can add potato while boiling the vegetables then blend, so that the starchiness in potato can help thicken a soup.  But then you cannot add potato in just about any soup.  So another method is to add cornstarch paste (cornstarch mixed with some water) while boiling the strained puree make a soup thick.  But then, not everyone likes to add cornstarch to their soup.  You can also add heavy cream toward the end, while it cannot rescue a thinned down soup, heavy cream helps to make a soup creamier (and yummier).  But you know what my preferred method is?

Add lesser water when blending, to begin with.  That's how I make my soups, that's how I made this delicious carrot and ginger soup.

Thanks to the bags of carrot I still buy once in a two months from Costco, it gives me plenty of carrot-related recipes to try.  This soup is a great way to use up those carrots, to sip on a hot carrot soup on a cold night.  And to clear your throat, the addition of ginger in this soup is perfect.

While I made this carrot and ginger soup using a pressure cooker, throwing in all the ingredients at once to cook, then all at once for blending, I have given a pan method to cook the soup too.  The procedure is pretty much the same, with cooking and cooling time being the only exception.

Carrot and Ginger Soup Recipe
Serves 3-4

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
½ cup roughly chopped onion
2 Tbsp roughly chopped garlic
2 cup roughly chopped carrots
3-4 Tbsp roughly chopped ginger
Salt and black pepper powder to taste
Water as required to adjust consistency

Heavy cream for garnish [optional]

Pressure Cooker Method:
Place the pressure cooker on medium heat, add all the ingredients one by one and stir 30 seconds after each addition: oil/butter + onion + garlic + ginger + carrot + salt + black pepper powder + just enough water until everything is immersed.  Close with the lid and let it whistle on medium heat once, takes less than 10 minutes.  Switch off heat, let the pressure cool down, once the mixture comes to room temperature strain and reserve the water and transfer the carrot mixture into a blender.   With the help of the reserved water, blend until smooth and desired consistency.  Remaining water, if any, can be used to add flavor to other soups, use to cook lentils, or add to any gravy/curry instead of discarding.  Taste soup to check salt and spice level, adjust if needed.  Heat the soup again in the same pressure cooker for 5 minutes without the lid when ready to serve.  Serve carrot and ginger soup hot, garnish with heavy cream if desired.

Pan Method:
Place a medium pan on medium heat.  Add all the ingredients one by one and stir 30 seconds after each addition: oil/butter + onion + garlic + ginger + carrot + salt + black pepper powder + just enough water until everything is immersed.  Cover the pan and let cook until carrots tender, takes about 15-20 minutes.  Switch off heat, let the mixture come to room temperature then strain and reserve the water and transfer the carrot mixture into a blender.   With the help of the reserved water, blend until smooth and desired consistency.  Taste to check salt and spice level, adjust if needed.  Remaining water, if any, can be used to add flavor to other soups, use to cook lentils, or add to any gravy/curry instead of discarding.  Heat the soup back in the same pan for 5 minutes when ready to serve.  Serve carrot and ginger soup hot, garnish with heavy cream if desired.

Just remember for this and for any vegetable soup: strain the water after boiling the vegetables, and blend the vegetables using only required water, as more of the water can always be added when boiling the soup a second time.  When you control the amount of water used for blending, you automatically have control over the thickness of soup without adding any extra starch or cream.

Enjoy.
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