Carrot soup with Tahini and Roasted Chickpeas

I'm always on the lookout for interesting new soup recipes using flavors new to me combined with ingredients I know (and Love) very well.  So when I stumbled upon a recipe for this carrot soup by Smitten Kitchen, I pinned it for a rainy day.  It's still 70 degrees out side (at the time I made this soup) in November, but I felt like it was time to test this recipe anyway.  I was intrigued by this recipe since it has some of my favorite ingredients in it and when the original recipe described it as "deconstructed carrots dipped in hummus" I knew I had to try this.

The ingredients seemed as they would be easy to find, but I still went to Whole Foods since I was in the neighborhood and I wasn't sure if the tahini and pita bread would be available at the regular grocery store.  Since I had many of the ingredients, this Whole Foods visit didn't cost a fortune.  But I lost the receipt, so my cost per serving calculation is approximate in this post. :(

The first step was to sauté carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes in olive oil for about 15 minutes.  While that was going, I toasted the chickpeas and drizzled and sprinkled them with olive oil, salt and cumin in a 425 degree oven for about 20 minutes, until brown, tossing occasionally.  After the veggies were brown, I added the broth and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Toasting chickpeas

To make the tahini sauce, I whisked together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth. Then I toasted the pita bread in the oven with a light brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and salt.  The last step was to puree the soup with my hand blender and garnish and serve.  

I served my bowl with a spoonful of roasted chickpeas and a dollop of tahini with a side of pita bread.  What a pretty meal!  As for the taste, I am still on the fence.  The coriander, cumin and tahini were flavors I'm not used to and they are very overpowering.  I did enjoy the soup, but with the strong flavors, I think it would serve as an appetizer rather than a meal.  The family wasn't around to sample this, and I didn't have a chance to get a second opinion.  But overall, I'd say it was prettier than it was amazingly delicious.  However for someone used to these flavors, I'm sure it would be a lovely surprise.  In fact, I did a little research and found several similar recipes for carrot-tahini soup, so this must be a winning combo.  What do I know?

New York Times Carrot Tahini Soup Recipe

Eats Well With Others Carrot Tahini Recipe

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil / from home

2 pounds carrots, peeled, diced / Whole Foods / $3.00

1 large onion, finely chopped / from home

6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed / from home

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander / from home

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin / from home

1/2 teaspoon salt / from home

4 cups vegetable broth / Whole Foods / $2.59

15 ounce can cooked chickpeas / from home

3 tablespoons tahini paste /  Whole Foods / $5.99

2 tablespoons lemon juice / Whole Foods / $0.99

Pita bread / Whole Foods / $4.99

Sesame seeds / from home

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50

Servings: 6

Taste: 3 stars

Prep: easy

Cost:  Approximately $17.56 ($2.92/ serving) (approximate)

Week 18: Carrot, Orange & Tarragon soup

I ventured outside of my cookbook again once I came across this recipe I had saved a while ago. Now that I have a true appreciation for tarragon, I can't pass up a tarragon soup recipe. Oh, and the best part, this recipe called for a bit of brandy. That pretty much sealed the deal.

This is going down as one of my favorite soups. It was super easy to make and I had most of the ingredients at home. And the taste was so yummy and super unique. The carrots and orange gave a subtle sweetness while the earthiness of the tarragon and brandy. I ate the soup with a yummy wheat bread, and it was the perfect lunch for a few days.

To make the soup, I sauteed onions with carrots until the onions were soft. I then added the broth and brought to a simmer. I let simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots were tender. I pureed the soup with an immersion blender and added the orange juice, brandy, tarragon and salt and pepper. I let simmer for 10 more minutes so the flavors could blend. The soup was yummy, but I added a bit more brandy just because I thought the flavor wasn't bold enough and partially because it's fun putting liquor in soup!




Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Taste: 5 stars
Prep: easy
Cost: $9.99


Ingredients

1 teaspoon butter / from home
3 cups chicken broth / $3.99 / Lucky's
1 medium onion / $0.50 / Farmer's market
1 1/2 pounds carrots / $4.00 / Farmer's Market
2 tablespoons chopped tarragon / $1.50 / Farmer's Market
1/2 cup orange juice / From home
2-3 tablespoons brandy / from home

Carrot, orange & tarragon soup
garnished with a sprig of fresh tarragon