Roasted Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
I think it’s finally fall. So, I finally rescued the last of the carrot crop from my garden. But who really knows. Minnesota is known for not being able to make up its mind when it comes to the change of seasons. Monday was 70 degrees. Now today it’s awfully darn chilly just in time for trick or treating this Friday. My kids have been busy crafting their costumes. The girls are going as a wizard and a witch. My son is sporting the same frog costume he had last year. Mostly because I didn’t have the energy to think of a new one and that one was a size too big last year so it fits him perfectly this year. See, I’m just being resourceful.
Oh right, this post is about soup. Like I was saying… carrots. soup. warm yumminess. Roasting veggies brings out a sweetness and depth of flavor you just can’t get by boiling them. In addition to roasted carrots, this roasted carrot soup also has roasted red bell pepper, onion and a whole head of roasted garlic. Yes, a whole head. Vampires beware.
Because of all this wonderful roasted goodness, this roasted carrot soup does not require a ton of extra ingredients to make it awesome. A little coriander, a little salt and pepper and a hit of cayenne for a little added zip and there you have it. Speaking of being resourceful, I made a pesto out of the carrot greens to use as a garnish. Fun huh?! You could use regular ol’ pesto or sub the carrot greens with kale for an equally awesome flavor. Time to get all roasty toasty and make some soup!
- 1½ - 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into ½" rounds
- 1 medium onion, sliced into ½" rounds
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
- 1 head garlic, papery skin removed and top end chopped off
- salt and pepper
- olive oil for roasting
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon pink himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- For the pesto:
- 1 cup carrot greens (or kale), chopped
- ½ cup basil, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Place bell pepper, carrots, onion and head of garlic on baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast veggies for 30-40 minutes until tender and lightly browned in spots. Watch carefully so they don't burn.
- When veggies are tender, place in a large stockpot with remaining ingredients and puree with a stick (immersion) blender. Alternately, you can use a blender to puree ingredients and then transfer to the pot.
- Cook together for another 15-20 minutes until nice and bubbly.
- While soup is cooking, make the pesto. Toss all pesto ingredients into a food processor and puree.
- Serve piping hot with pesto on top. Can also place a dollop of plain greek yogurt (or plain coconut milk yogurt) on top.
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What a beautiful looking soup. We love all your pictures and recipes and would love to have you share your pictures with us at foodieportal.com.
Thank you so much! I will certainly look into sharing on your site as well.