Carrot and coriander soup

The next step to improving a basic vegetable soup is to add fresh herbs for extra flavour, aromatics such as ginger and chilli, and maybe pulses like lentils or chickpeas for body and texture. This simple carrot soup recipe is given new life with addition of fresh coriander and orange juice.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• oil, for cooking
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 leek, sliced
• 4 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ bunch coriander
• 60 ml (¼ cup) orange juice
• 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• cream, to taste

Instructions

Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add a generous splash of oil, then add the onion, celery and leek. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring often. Add carrot and garlic and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.

Wash coriander well and chop the roots and stems, reserving the leaves for a garnish. Add coriander to saucepan and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Add orange juice, salt and pepper and enough stock to just cover the vegetables, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Purée the soup using a food processor, then pass through a strainer back into a clean saucepan.

To serve, bring the soup back to the boil, check seasoning, and add cream if desired and coriander leaves to garnish.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.