Recipe: Spiced carrot orange soup

This is a good soup to serve as the season starts to cool off.  A bit of spice to warm you up and a beautiful colour to let you know fall is coming.  I always like how the orange flavour plays off the carrot.  I resisted the urge to put ginger in it, but of course you can - the best way is to peel and smash a chunk and let it simmer with the soup, then when if at some point you are happy with the flavour, just take it out rather than puree it in with the rest.  If you are vegan, you don't need to add any cream, I just find that it really helps the flavours to come together nicely.  I like to garnish with fresh black pepper, but save it to the end to keep the colour of the soup clean.  This recipe will make between 3 and 4 litres (quarts) depending how thick you like your puree soups.

You will need:

1500g / 53oz                  carrots (about 12 good sized ones)
2                                     white onions

get some colour on the onions and garlic

4 cloves                          garlic
500ml / 2C                     vegetable stock or water
500ml / 2C                     fresh squeezed orange juice
125ml / 1/2C                  cream
30ml / 2Tbs                    honey
5ml / 1tsp                       coriander
5ml / 1tsp                       cumin
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 cayenne
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 hot smoked paprika
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 ground cardamom
to taste                            kosher salt
as needed                        vegetable oil

barely colour the carrots

as needed                        water (for the puree)

Method:

 - peel and chop the carrots
 - dice the onion and sweat really well in some oil about medium heat
 - chop the garlic and add to the onion
 - turn up the heat give the onion and garlic some colour, then bring the heat back down to medium
 - add a bit more oil if needed and add the spices to toast in the oil

ready to puree

 - add the carrots and sweat really well
 - turn the heat up again just until the carrots want to take on some colour
 - deglaze with the orange juice
 - add the vegetable stock (or water) and cook
 - when the carrots are very soft, add the cream and honey
 - add any more water you may need to help puree the soup
 - season with salt
 - puree really well in a bar blender and pass through a fine mesh sieve
 - double check the seasoning  - make any small adjustments
 - serve, or cool and store in the fridge

Yum!