Recipe by Leah King
Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
3 Tbsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. dried ginger
1 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garlic-chili paste (like Sambal Olek or similar)
2+ Tbsp. kosher salt
8 cups carrots, roughly chopped (preferably Nunn Better)
6-8 cups vegetable stock*
1 can (14oz.) full-fat coconut milk
1 lime, zest & juice
(optional garnish: coconut cream, additional lime & cilantro)
Procedure:
- In a stock pot, warm toasted sesame oil. Add diced onion and cook over medium-low heat, until they turn golden (approximately 20 minutes). Stir every few minutes. Don’t rush this part. You are developing your needed sweetness.
- Add the fresh ginger and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes.
- Add the dried ginger, coriander, turmeric, and garlic-chili paste. Sauté 3 minutes more.
- Add the carrots, salt, and enough vegetable stock to cover the carrots (approximately 6-8 cups).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until the carrots are soft, about 30 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, lime juice, and zest.
- Blend in batches until smooth.
- Taste for salt. Add chopped cilantro.
- (Optional) Garnish with coconut cream, more cilantro, and a lime wedge. Enjoy!
*A note on vegetable stock:
I often have a bin in the fridge to collect vegetable scraps for a few days before I make a soup. My favorite things to use are white and yellow onion skins, celery bits, scallion scraps, carrot peels, mushrooms, and herb stems. I avoid red onion skins and tomatoes. Make your stock anytime by adding your bits to a stock pot and simmering for an hour or two. Strain, and use throughout the week as a replacement for water in your recipes for additional depth of flavor.
(Photo credit: Budget Bytes)