Carrot and coriander soup

Wednesday, 20 June 2007

Coriander has a flavour similar to roasted orange peel, so it is a natural complement to the carrots you'll be mixing it with in this delicious easy-to-make soup.

Early summer is the perfect time to it as the carrots turn sweeter as the season progresses, giving a flavour that's slightly too sharp!

The end product will taste so much better if you are lucky enough to have pulled the carrots from your own garden, but nonetheless, once you've mastered the art of home-made carrot and coriander soup creation, You'll probably think twice about buying the tinned variety again. Serves 4.

Ingredients
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1lb (450g) carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 2 pints (1 litre) vegetable stock
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• 5oz (150g) bio yoghurt
• Ground black pepper
• Salt

Method

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan.
2. Add the sliced onions and carrots and cook for 4 minutes until they begin to soften.
3. Stir in the ground coriander and add the salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
5. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
6. Puree the mixture with a hand blender or pop into a food processor until smooth.
7. Stir in the fresh coriander and yoghurt and reheat without boiling.
8. Add more salt or pepper to taste, then serve.

Remember: Always have a big chunk of warm crusty bread ready to dip into your soup!