Carrot Soup with Chermoula (Printable Version)
Smooth carrot soup paired with zesty herb chermoula, finished with a swirl of creamy yogurt or sour cream.
# Ingredients:
→ Soup Base
01 -
2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
02 -
450 g carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1.25 cm disks
03 -
1/2 large onion, diced (approx. 1 cup)
04 -
4 garlic cloves, smashed
05 -
1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
06 -
950 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
07 -
2 bay leaves
08 -
1 teaspoon kosher salt
09 -
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
10 -
2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
11 -
60 ml yogurt or sour cream (or plant-based equivalent)
→ Chermoula
12 -
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted
13 -
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted
14 -
1 cup fresh cilantro
15 -
1/2 cup Italian parsley or additional cilantro
16 -
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
17 -
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (optional)
18 -
2 garlic cloves
19 -
120 ml olive oil
20 -
Zest from 1/2 lemon (approx. 1 teaspoon)
21 -
1 tablespoon lemon juice
22 -
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, or more to taste
23 -
1/4 teaspoon salt
# Steps:
01 -
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Sauté diced onion, cumin seeds, and smashed garlic, stirring often, until golden and tender, about 5–6 minutes.
02 -
Add sliced carrots, chicken or vegetable stock, kosher salt, ground white pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to a vigorous simmer. Cover and cook on medium-low heat for approximately 20 minutes, or until carrots are easily pierced with a knife. Allow to cool slightly.
03 -
Toast cumin and coriander seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and golden. Transfer all chermoula ingredients to a food processor and pulse into a textured paste. Reserve in a small bowl.
04 -
Remove bay leaves. Using an immersion blender or working in batches with a standard blender, blend the soup until silky smooth.
05 -
Return the soup to the pot. Stir in yogurt or sour cream and honey or maple syrup. Adjust salt and spice to taste, noting the chermoula will provide additional seasoning. Maintain on low heat until serving.
06 -
Ladle soup into bowls and swirl in a generous spoonful of chermoula. Add extra yogurt or sour cream if desired before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
For deeper flavor, use whole spices and toast them before grinding. Ground spices may be substituted in equal measure if needed.
02 -
Optionally, add 1/4 apple sliced with the carrots for natural sweetness. Adjust maple syrup or honey accordingly.