Roasted Carrot Soup With Poached Quail Eggs
- Prep time: 25 min
- Cook time: 45–70 min
- Serves: 4–6 people
This classic carrot soup is a wonderful soup to serve with salads, sandwiches, and entrées. The rich and roasted flavours of the carrots go with many other flavours — it’s a versatile soup to keep in your repertoire.
It’s light, healthy and budget-friendly too. Once the soup is ready, add poached quail eggs to each bowl and delight in the contrast between sweet carrots and savoury egg yolk!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs carrots
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt, divided, to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ tsp lemon juice, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
To prepare your carrots, peel them and then cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about 1/2-inch thick at the widest part.
Place the carrots on the baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated. Arrange them in a single layer.
Roast the carrots for 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway. They’re ready when they’re caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork. (Note: Heirloom carrot varieties will roast in as little as 25 minutes, but regular carrots are more dense and typically require 35 to 40 minutes.)
Once the carrots are almost done roasting, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until the bottom of the pot is coated. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.
Add the roasted carrots to the pot when they are out of the oven. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Blend the soup lightly to break up the long strips of roasted carrot. Add the lemon juice and several twists of black pepper.
Serve!
Note: This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days.
