Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas
This Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup with Crispy Chickpeas is rich, comforting and full of flavour without needing any cream. Roasting the carrots brings out their natural sweetness, while warm spices and crunchy golden chickpeas turn a simple carrot soup into a hearty, satisfying meal that is perfect for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
- 1kg carrots, peeled, havled lengthways and cut into 5cm pieces
- 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2cm piece ginger, grated
- 1 teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 6 cups liquid vegetable stock
- 400g can chickpeas, drained
TO SERVE
- Greek style natural yoghurt or sour cream
- Chopped coriander, parsley or micro-greens
- Sourdough toast or other toast
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss carrots with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the baking tray and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until tender and lightly golden around the edges.
- Heat a further 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cinnamon, cook, stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the roasted carrots to the pan, vegetable stock and half the chickpeas. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using a hand held blender, blend soup until smooth. Alternately, let cool slightly then blend in a food processor or blender. Season to taste with cracked black pepper. Set aside.
- Pat the remaining chickpeas dry with paper towel. Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in a small frying pan over high heat. Add the chickpeas and cook until lightly golden. Season to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted chickpeas, a dollop of yoghurt or sour cream and a drizzle olive oil. Garnish with herbs and serve with toasted sourdough.
Notes
COOKS NOTES:
- Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens. If using fan forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20°C.
- Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml and 1 cup = 250 ml.
- Herbs: All herbs are fresh unless specified and cups are lightly packed.
- Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled unless specified.
- Eggs: We use extra large eggs (55 to 60 g each) unless specified.
- Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice stirred through before serving adds brightness.
- Butter: Stirring through 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter after blending gives the soup an extra silky finish.
- Fridge: Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently.
- Reheating: Warm slowly on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until heated through.