I’m excited to share with you a great recipe that stars your garden carrots! Today, we are going to make a fresh carrot bisque. Don’t know what a bisque is? Put simply, it is a smooth, creamy, highly seasoned soup of French origin. Though most bisque recipes involve seafood, this version is all vegetarian. First, we’ll cook down our carrots with potatoes, vegetable broth and simple seasonings. Then it’s time to bisque it up in our blender and add some whipping cream while it’s hot. Delicious!
I’m not the first to make a bisque from garden carrots. There are actually quite a few recipes out there. However, what I have for you today is a basic recipe that can be modified to fit your tastes. Like sweeter? Use a sweet potato instead of an Idaho. Prefer a taste of Thai? Swirl in some coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream! How about an Indian twist? Sprinkle in 1/2 teaspoon of curry and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg. This carrot bisque is SO versatile.
If you don’t have carrots in your garden, no fear! Just use the best carrots you can get your hands on. Organic carrots from the store are not expensive and carry a fuller flavor than non-organic. Kroger has Simple Truth organic carrots for about $1 per pound and in this recipe, you’ll only need 2 cups! Are you ready to make some hearty, healthy and delicious carrot bisque?
Come on in to my kitchen!
Here are the ingredients – very simple. You’ll need a pat of butter, sweet onion, garlic, 1 large or 2 small Idaho potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, cream and of course, carrots!
Start off by roughly chopping 1/3 cup sweet onion and 1 clove garlic. Saute them in a saucepan with 1 Tablespoon of butter using medium heat until translucent (about 4 minutes).
Next, chop up 2 cups of skinned carrots. No need to be cut perfect little slices. Rough chops will do fine here because all of these will be going in the blender!
Skin 1 large Idaho potato or 2 smaller potatoes and chop, chop, chop!
Add your carrots, potatoes, 3 cups vegetable broth, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to the saucepan and simmer on medium heat until the veggies are fork tender.
You will notice that the veggies soak up much of the broth as they tenderize. We are ready to transform into our bisque! Pour the veggies, broth and all, into the blender.
My blender has a soup function that purees anything soup worthy for 90 seconds. If you don’t have that, simply dial your blender to medium high until smooth and creamy. The consistency will be thick and smooth. If you’d like a thinner texture, just add 1/2 – 1 cup more broth as it’s whirling.
There it is! Blend in your heavy whipping cream right at the table and you have yourself carrot bisque! I just love the vibrant, all natural orange color of this soup. It would be fantastic served alongside grilled chicken and some crusty French bread. Mmmmm… I’m getting hungry 🙂
Enjoy!
Carrot Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1/3 cup sweet onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups carrots
- 1 Idaho potatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Roughly chop 1/3 cup sweet onion and 1 clove garlic. Saute them in a saucepan with 1 Tablespoon of butter using medium heat until translucent (about 4 minutes).
- Chop 2 cups of skinned carrots and 1 large or 2 small skinned Idaho potatoes.
- Add the carrots, potatoes, 3 cups vegetable broth, 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper to the saucepan and simmer on medium heat until the veggies are fork tender.
- Pour the veggies, broth and all, into the blender.
- Puree for 90 seconds on medium high or until until smooth and creamy. If you’d like a thinner texture, just add 1/2 – 1 cup more broth as it’s whirling.
- Blend in your heavy whipping cream right at the table.
