Hi there, pals!
WELCOME TO DAY 4 OF SOUP WEEK.
Do you love a good butternut squash soup? Pumpkin?
Well, this is similar.
CARROT & APPLE SOUP.
This soup came to vision a couple months ago as I was brainstorming recipes for soup week.
When I solo traveled to Bali in 2018 (highly recommend - Bali and solo travel!) I stayed at a beautiful boutique resort in the northern part of Bali for a couple nights.
They had the most incredible food, served buffet style. I was fully plant based at the time & the hotel had a very heavy plant based menu each night. They also served fish every evening and eggs in the morning. Everything was house made and you could ask for your eggs however you wanted them. It was a tiny resort, with a common area no larger than 15x20 to eat in and they served you so there were no other humans slobbering all over your grub.
Anyway, they had this carrot, apple salad that I could not get enough of. I devoured it. It was such a simple thing. Literally, just shredded carrot and apple, with a pinch of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt. OMG! 🤤 I still make it to this day. It is such a great summer side dish.
So, because of that, this soup was born.
Now I would be lying if I said the soup is better than the salad. It is not.
But it is good. & super comforting.
Nowadays, I would pair this with a salty sandwich. A delicious BLT or the works on an Italian sub. Oh boy.
The saltiness of the sandwich paired with the sweetness of the soup is ideal.
Or, you could make it more of a savory soup like I did here and top it with toasted pecans and flavor it with rosemary and thyme giving it a deep, hearty wintery flavor. (don't worry, you're getting directions for both today!)
I've done it both ways.
Both good, but depends on my mood.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
FOR INGREDIENTS
Carrots - peeled and sliced into coins
Extra virgin olive oil
Apples - I love to use honeycrisp, they don't get starchy like some of the really sweet apples
Celery
Onion - I tend to lean towards sweet onion
Vegetable broth - stick with vegetable here; chicken or beef would not be a vibe.
Salt - I love Terrasoul Himalayan sea salt
for sweet soup
Coconut milk - for drizzle topping
Maple syrup - for drizzle topping
for a savory soup
Toasted pecans
Thyme
Rosemary
Bay leaf
First, preheat your oven to 400°F.
If you are making the savory version, toast your pecans. (You could do it for the sweet version too.) All you need to do is toss them in a pan on the stove over low heat. Do not leave them unattended. They will burn quick. Keep tossing them around until the become slightly browned and very fragrant. It takes about 5 -8 minutes.
Peel and chop your carrots; I like to cut them into coins, as uniform as possible to ensure even roasting. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
While those are roasting, slice your apples (I love to leave the skins on for added flavor, fiber and nutrition). Also, chop your onion and celery.
Heat some evoo in a dutch oven on the stove, add your onion and sauté for 5-8 minutes until it is fragrant and browned. Add your apples and celery and sauté until apples are soft (about 5 minutes).
If you are going savory for the soup, here is where you will add your thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add 3 cups of broth, bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Once your carrots are done roasting, add to the dutch oven and simmer for 5 minutes.
If you are making the savory version, here is where you will remove your bay leaf.
Transfer all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
Return the soup back to the pot, add one cup of broth, give it a nice mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
The only thing left to do is serve and enjoy!
RECIPE PDF 👇🏼
INGREDIENTS
1# carrots - peeled and sliced into coins
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 apples - I love to use honeycrisp, they don't get starchy like some of the really sweet apples
2 stalks of celery
1/3 sweet onion
4 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
for sweet soup
Coconut milk - for drizzle topping
Maple syrup - for drizzle topping
for a savory soup
Toasted pecans
Thyme
Rosemary
Bay leaf
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 400°F and toast your pecans by tossing them in a pan on the stove over low heat. Make sure you do not leave them unattended. They burn quick. Once they are golden brown and fragrant, transfer to a bowl. Takes about 5 minutes.
Peel and chop your carrots, drizzle with evoo and salt. Roast for 20-25 minutes.
While your carrots are roasting, slice your apples (leave the skins on for added flavor, fiber and nutrition). Chop your onion and celery.
Heat the oil in a dutch oven, add your onions and sauté for 5-8 minutes until fragrant. Add apple and celery and sauté until the apples are soft (about 5 minutes). If you are going for the savory version, here is where you will add your thyme rosemary and bay leaf. Sauté for 30 seconds.
Add 3 cups vegetable broth, bring it to a boil cover and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add your carrots once they are done roasting and simmer for 5 minutes. If you are making the savory version, here is where you will remove your bay leaf.
Transfer all ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup back to the pot, add one cup of broth, give it a nice mix and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!
NOTES
Stick with vegetable broth for this recipe; chicken or beef would not be a vibe.
You can peel your apples if you wish, but leaving them on does amplify the flavor profile. Make sure you are buying organic if you do.
You can use an immersion blender if you'd rather, I just like this soup, in particular, to be super smooth.
If you are making the savory version, use some canned coconut milk to drizzle on top of the soup and a splash of maple syrup. The toasted pecans would pair nicely with this recipe too.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, friends.
Definitely brings some nostalgia back for me.
I hope you have the opportunity to travel to Bali or solo travel (if that is something you feel called to do).
As always, feel free to reach out.
Give this post a like, comment or share. (It really helps me out.)
If you make the recipe, send me some pics and let me know if you enjoyed it. (I love that so much!)
Have a great day!
xoxo
Kirsten ☀️