Spicy Thai Carrot Soup
If you’re like me, you try to make healthy choices. Whether you drink an extra glass of water, walk the dog a bit longer, or incorporate more veggies, you’re trying right?! The same is true for me. While I know a lot about nutrition, I’m still a work in progress. Personally, I have set two goals for myself. One, drink more water. I’ve always been a slacker in this department. Other than my morning coffee, I’m pretty bad at drinking much of anything and am probably mildly dehydrated most of the time. Lately, I’ve set goals for how many Blender Bottles to drink throughout my day. Second, my husband and I have been incorporating more meatless meals. It is pretty unlikely I will ever go full fledge vegetarian/vegan, but I can appreciate a more plant-based diet. This Meatless Monday, I opted for some Spicy Thai Carrot Soup.
The key for me when I go meatless is to make a recipe bursting with flavor. This my friends, is just that. My Spicy Thai Carrot Soup leaves it all on the table. The bold, sweet chili sauce gives off the perfect sweet heat. While the decadent peanut butter pulls the whole dish together. I can’t forget to mention all the fiber and nutrients packed into this dinner time magic. Ugh, can I just eat already?!
This recipe really can’t get much easier. I am super lazy when it comes to this recipe. You probably won’t see my technique on Master Chef. First, I start with a large pot, drizzled with a bit of olive oil. When I get the pan nice and hot, I add the carrots, onion, and garlic. I make sure to keep the garlic whole in order to easily separate from the broth later. Then sauté the vegetables for about five minutes, until slightly browned. Next, I add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once the broth comes to a boil, I reduce the heat and let simmer until the carrots are tender. Then, add in the chickpeas for a minute or two and let them heat through.
Once that’s all set, I use a skimmer spoon (ladle with holes), to remove the vegetables and add to the blender. I got this Oster Blender from my Grandma about five years ago. This blender has never done me wrong through all the soups, smoothies, and any other weird things I throw at.
After you remove the vegetables, pour half the broth to the blender, adding more depending on the consistency. I let that baby blend until it looks creamy and delicious. If the mixture is too thick, add additional broth. When the soup is relatively well pureed, I add the flavorings. Here I add in the salt and pepper, sweet chili sauce, PB2 (you can use regular peanut butter), and basil. Once again, blend well.
When I get the soup to my preferred consistency and all the chunks have disappeared, it’s time to savor the flavors. Finally, I recommend finishing off the recipe by adding a drizzle of sriracha for a little extra heat and some coconut cream for a little extra dreaminess. This soup really is perfect to heat up these cool fall night, hope you enjoy!
Spicy Thai Carrot Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound baby carrots
- 3 garlic cloves, whole
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 can chickpeas or garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, more or less to taste
- 1/3 cup PB2 or regular peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
- 4-5 fresh basil leaves
- 1-2 teaspoons sriracha
- Coconut cream, optional
Instructions
- In a large pot, add a drizzle of olive oil. Heat pan over medium high heat. When pan is heated, add carrots, garlic, and onion, sautéing for roughly 5 minutes.
- Add vegetable stock to the pot, bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.
- Then, add chickpeas for 1-2 minutes to heat through.
- Using a skimmer spoon, remove vegetables and place in the blender. Next, add half the broth and blend. Depending on consistency, add the remaining broth to further thin the soup.
- Then, add a generius pinch of salt and pepper, sweet chili sauce, PB2, and basil to the mixture, blending well.
- Finally, taste mixture and add additional seasoning as needed.
- Serve immediately and top with sriracha, coconut cream, and extra basil.
