Carrot Soup

I am finding yet another advantage to this blog.  If I write it down here I seem to stick to it better.  I guess a public declaration keeps me honest;).  I was sorely tempted to just pick a recipe from the to try file and forget my war on the kitchen clutter, but I said to myself, you said you would do this so do it and don't give up yet.  (hey if this works, maybe I should write that I am getting a supermodel figure, write a best selling novel, open a successful restaurant and will make a million dollars!:)  So, I hit the pantry and the fridge with a serious blow.  I started with the pantry.  I have some corn husks in there from the last tamales I made.  Half a bag of something, a specialty something, has to go.  I remember the collards from my Front Porch Pickings Thanksgiving basket.  The tamale we loved had kale; why not make that recipe but with the collards.  Oh and it will almost finish off that bag of masa in the pantry too.  Whoo hoo, I am on a roll.  When I open the drawer in the fridge to get the collards, I see the two bags of carrots.  (I sent my husband to the store for ginger and carrots, forgetting that I had just bought carrots:/)  Ok, it's chilly out, I will make carrot soup too.  Now soup is the nuclear strike in the fridge war as almost anything can go in it.  I pull out 2 bunches of scallions quietly going bad, the celery that is joining it and carton of veggie broth that I had accidentally bought when I thought I didn't have any in the pantry. Oh and I have just a bit of olive oil (not extra virgin) in a bottle just taking up space.  I will finish it off.   BOOM!  I am giddy with the strike I just dealt.  Now, the universe does have to even the score a tad.  I start all the dishes and after the soup is on, tamale filling cooked and I am making the tamale dough, I notice that the tamales cook for 30-40 minutes.  Oh sugar!  I thought 20 at most.  (I swore I remembered that but...)  Well we will eat the soup, and have second dinner later. (it was 6:30 at this point and the tamales weren't ready to cook yet)  So while the soup is simmering, the whole family, three year old included, helps make the tamales.  Ok my husband told the boy to take pictures of the girl cooking, but that counts right?  While they cook, we eat the soup, that we loved, and while we all wanted more soup, we were too full for the tamales when they were done about 7:30.  Its ok, I will graze on them tomorrow.

Carrot Soup

2 Tbsp Olive oil
5 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 stacks of celery roughly chopped
6 scallions, cut into 1" pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
3.5 cups veg broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
1/2  teaspoon of dried sage
1/2  teaspoon onion powder
4 dashes of chipotle hot sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream


Sauté the celery and carrots in oil for about eight minutes over medium high heat until the celery is soft and the carrots are slightly cooked and starting to brown. At scallions cook 2 minutes then add garlic and cook one minute.  Add the broth and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer.  I wanted to speed up the cooking so I used a potato masher after about 5 minutes to mash the veggies a bit to make them smaller and will therefore cook faster.  I repeat that after another 5 minutes and then let them cook for another 5 minutes.  (or until all the veggies are super soft)  Take off the heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth.  Add the sage and onion and hot sauce and return to heat for a minute.  Add cream and stir.  Cook one more minute to warm cream.  Garnish with chile oil (or hot sauce) if desired