Canal House carrot soup

Inspiration

We CARROT about healthy eating 🥕 Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton’s latest cookbook, Canal House Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On, is a lesson in effortless, adaptable dinners. Take this carrot soup, for instance: With three steps and fewer than ten ingredients, it’s easy to whip up on a weeknight and even easier to riff on.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 pound carrots, peeled and sliced

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

• Peel from ½ lemon, wide strips

• 2 bay leaves

• 6 cups chicken stock

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the carrot, potato, lemon peel, bay leaves and 5 cups of the chicken stock. Cover the pot and cook until the vegetables are very soft, 30 to 45 minutes.

3. Discard the bay leaves. Working in small batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Add some of the remaining 1 cup of stock if the soup is too thick. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and finely chopped scallions or fresh chives, if you like. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, along with a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, for a lemony soup for something extra.

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