Roasted Carrot Soup with Carrot Top Pesto Croutons
It’s officially Spring! Everything is warming up, flowers are blooming and pollinators are hard at work. Did you know that carrots are also at their prime? That’s why we’re using the WHOLE carrot in this hearty, yet bright dish that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. We hope you enjoy making this recipe as much as you enjoy eating it!
Ingredients:
For the Soup:
2 pounds carrots (be sure to save the tops!)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,
¾ teaspoon salt, to taste
1 medium/large yellow or sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth (or preferred broth or water)
2 cups water
1-2 tablespoons dairy-free butter, to taste (or preferred butter)
1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the carrot top croutons:
2 cups preferred bread, cubed (stale is even better!)
2 bunch carrot greens (about 2 cup)
1 cup fresh basil leaves (or spinach, parsley)
4 tablespoons walnuts (or pine nuts, cashews, pistachios)
½ cup nutritional yeast (or freshly grated parmesan cheese)
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
⅔ - 1 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves
4 green onions, green part only
2 lemons, juiced and zested
Instructions:
For the soup:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a reusable silicone baking mat.
Peel carrots and cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about ½″ thick at the widest part.
Toss the carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Arrange them in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast the carrots until they’re caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork, 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway.
Once the carrots are almost done roasting, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.
Add the roasted carrots to the pot when they are out of the oven. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender (or use an immersion blender), working in batches if necessary.
Add the butter, lemon juice and black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary, to taste. Add another tablespoon of butter if you’d like more richness, or a little more lemon juice if it needs more zing. You may also add more broth if it’s too thick. Blend again, and keep warm while you work on your croutons.
Soup can keep in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for several months.
For the carrot top croutons:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly coat the croutons in olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet (you can reuse the carrot one!) and place in oven.
While croutons bake, wash and dry carrot tops. You can use a salad spinner to speed up the drying process. Place carrot tops in food processor, you can include stems if tender. Make sure to compost any tough or woody stems.
Place basil, garlic, walnuts, and nutritional yeast in the food processor and pulse until everything is finely chopped.
Add the salt, pepper, and lemon juice and pulse while slowly adding the olive oil until you have a thick paste but not a completely blended mixture. Add additional olive oil and salt, if needed.
Once croutons are golden brown and crispy, take them out of the over and let them cool for a few minutes.
Coat the croutons with the carrot top pesto to your preference.
Top the soup with the finished croutons and serve.
Place leftover pesto in a jar and drizzle a little olive oil over the top and seal closed to keep pesto green. This can keep for a few weeks in the fridge if you continue to cover the top with olive to keep the herbs fresh. Use with veggies, bread, pasta, crackers…the possibilities are endless!
