Curried Carrot Soup This is a recipe from Michael Caines, Michelin-starred chef and veteran chef on The Great British Menu. We have reproduced it here with Michael’s kind permission. Photo credit for carrot soup recipe: David Griffen. Serves 4 Ingredients 150g onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed 500g carrots, peeled and chopped small 150g unsalted butter 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon of Madras curry powder 300ml chicken stock or vegetable stock 500ml water 1 bouquet garni (parsley stalks, coriander stalks, thyme, bay leaf, celery and leek, tied with string) fresh coriander leaves If you have any trouble with cutting and chopping ingredients we have a useful factsheet on gadgets and aids or you can also buy pre-cut items in shops. Method Cook the onion, garlic and carrots gently in a saucepan with a pinch of salt with the butter, without colouring, for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan. Add the toasted cumin and Madras curry powder to the vegetables and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the chicken stock, water and bouquet garni. Bring to the boil and add a little salt, then reduce to a simmer and leave to cook slowly for 30 minutes. Transfer to a blender and blend to a fine purée, then pass the purée through a sieve and return it to a clean pan. Check the seasoning and serve sprinkled with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
