Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup

Welcoming spring with one of the most vibrantly beautiful soups I’ve made in a while 💜 – Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup.

The desi purple-black carrot, called kaali gaajar (that literally means ‘black carrot’ in Urdu) makes a brief yet stunning appearance every winter. This purple carrot is the star of the show here and gives the soup its deep amethyst colour.

My Dad brought home some gorgeous purple carrots the other day and I set out to make the traditional digestive drink Kanji with them.

As I was slicing the carrots and staring in awe at their amazing colour and the intricate natural pattern on the inside, I decided I would make something else too with these rare beauties that would show off their colour to perfection.

Hence the idea for this pretty Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup came about. I decided to add coconut milk to the soup for richness and a more rounded flavour. Plus some of my favourite spices give it a pleasing intensity without any heat.

I’ve swirled some heavy cream and crushed a couple of my homemade Crispy Spinach Chips on top for contrast, both in terms of colour and texture. The garnish / toppings are totally optional though; the soup is wonderful on its own too.

I still cannot get over the bright hue of this soup. And it tastes pretty great. So I’ve frozen a few servings of my Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup that I can defrost, reheat and enjoy during the upcoming months.

A regular carrot can be substituted for the purple one when purple carrots are not in season for an equally yummy Spiced Carrot & Coconut Soup.

 

Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup

 

Recipe Type: Starter & Snack, Main

Author: Alice In Eatland

Prep Time: 10 Minutes    Cook Time: 20 Minutes    Total Time: 30 Minutes

Serves: 1

 

Spiced Purple Carrot & Coconut Soup – the flavour & nutrients of purple carrot, fragrant spices & creamy coconut milk make this a winner. Gluten free.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2″ piece ginger
• 1 medium purple carrot, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock OR water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• Salt
• Fresh milled black pepper
• A little extra vegetable stock
• A little extra coconut milk
• Cream, to garnish (optional)
• Crispy Spinach Chips, to garnish (optional; recipe here)

 

METHOD

1. Put the cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a small pan and place over medium heat.
2. Tilt the pan and swirl the seeds inside until they darken slightly and smell fragrant. Be careful not to burn.
3. Remove from heat and crush coarsely, either with the back of a spoon or with a pestle and mortar. Set aside.
4. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the onion, and garlic. Stir until soft and fragrant – no need to brown.
5. Grate in the ginger and stir.
6. Add the carrot pieces and the coarsely ground cumin and coriander.
7. Give everything a good stir and pour in the stock or water and the coconut milk.
8. Increase the heat to high and bring mixture to the boil, uncovered.
9. When a rolling boil is reached, reduce heat to medium-low and let cook, partially covered, until carrot pieces are tender.
10. Remove pan from heat, cool mixture to room temperature and then blend either in a blender or with a stick blender until smooth.
11. Return soup to heat to warm up. Check for salt and add pepper if wished.
12. Taste the soup. At this point you can add more stock and / or coconut milk depending on how the soup tastes to you – it’s all about personal taste and flavour preference so make adjustments accordingly.
13. If more liquid is added, bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 5 minutes.
14. When ready to serve, ladle warm soup into serving bowl.
15. Drizzle cream on top if wished.
16. Crush a few Spinach Chips lightly and place in a mound in the centre of the bowl. Enjoy.