Smooth, creamy carrot soup is tasty when done right, but it can easily become mundane. This version spices things up with coconut milk and curry.

Game plan: This soup can be served hot or cold. If you’re serving it cold, you may need to thin it with a little water.

  • Yield: 24 hors d’oeuvre portions (6 regular servings)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 30 mins 

Ingredients (10)

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 medium garlic clove, smashed
  • 1 (1/2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and smashed
  • 1/2 medium onion, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
  • 1 medium bay leaf
  • 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
  • Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the curry powder and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the ginger, onion, carrots, bay leaf, and broth, increase the heat to medium high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the carrots are soft when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.
  3. Working in batches, process the soup in a blender until smooth. (Be very careful when blending the hot soup, as steam could blow off the blender lid.)Pour the soup into a clean pot and return it to the stove over medium heat. Stir in the coconut milk and adjust the seasoning as needed. To make appetizer portions, serve small amounts of soup in shot glasses or demitasses. Garnish with a few flakes of toasted coconut, if using.

Beverage pairing: Annie’s Lane Riesling, Australia. This dry-but-fruity Riesling from Australia’s Clare Valley has the acidity to cut through a heavy soup, enough citrusy spunk to embellish the carrots, and a little spice to echo the curry.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.