Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Carrot Soup With Miso

Now that fall is here and we're stuck in a cold front, soup is back on the menu in full force. We have our old standbys and favorite recipes that I reprise this time of year, but every now and then I get the itch to try something different. Recently I was searching some of my favorite food blogs for new soup recipes to try and this one really caught my attention.


Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame
via Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds organic carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 - 6 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated ginger
4 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup miso paste (I used red miso)
Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, very thinly sliced

Directions:
Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso and a half-cup of the soup until the lumps are gone. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste.
Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of sesame oil and small mound of scallions.

I just realized that I forgot to add a drizzle of sesame oil at the end! Even though the soup was delicious, I think the sesame oil really would add something special.

If you aren't familiar with miso, don't let that scare you away! Miso is a fermented paste made typically from soybeans and contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a perfect complete source of protein. It is believed to aid in digestion and strengthen the immune system, among many other health benefits. And it will last forever in your fridge - I bought my tub of miso last winter and it is still good.


I found that a small bowl of this soup with a few crackers on the side filled me up but didn't leave me feeling full. The miso paste really adds a depth of flavor and richness to the soup, along with a nice salty flavor. If you've never tried miso before, this would be a great introduction to the super food!

~Tammy

Shared with: Hearth and Soul, Clever Chicks, Down Home, Thursday Favorite Things, Rural Thursdays, Eat Make Grow and Farmgirl Friday blog hops.

30 comments:

  1. It's cooler here too today (60s) and soup does sound good to me. That's a lovely color. :)

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    1. It does turn out a pretty color. Kind of makes me happy just looking at it!

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  2. Lovely recipe and sounds so healthy ~ great photos ~ (A Creative Harbor)

    thanks for coming by and commenting ^_^

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    1. No problem! Thanks for stopping by and commenting here as well :)

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  3. The soup looks delish! I've never had miso though, hmmmm...
    By the way, I love, love, love your soup bowl!! :)

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    1. You should try it! Miso mostly just adds a nice salty flavor to the soup. I love the soup bowl, too! I can't remember where I got it - probably a yard sale :)

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  4. With my eldest daughter (still living at home) becoming vegetarian in the last month, I am on the search for more recipes to add to our diet. This is perfect! Thanks ♥

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    1. Great! I hope you enjoy the soup. Everything I cook is vegetarian, so be on the lookout for future recipes! :)

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  5. This looks wonderful. And I was wondering earlier this week how long miso lasts - I have some from last winter's soups still in the fridge and it has no expiration date, so I was wondering if it was still good. Great to know, now I can start using it in soups again!

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    1. Yes, it lasts a long time. I saw a comment on another blog that one person used miso 3 years after they bought it and it was still good!

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  6. This looks delicious. I love carrot soup. I have a carrot and ginger one that I make. I will definitely try your version next. Thank you too for linking up to the blog hop each week! It is such a pleasure to have you with us.~Melissa

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    1. Thanks so much, Melissa! I always enjoy your blog hop :)

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  7. That soup looks amazing - I love sesame oil and miso. It is definitely soup season!

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    1. Thanks, Gretchen! We are eating lots of soup around here :)

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  8. Oh that looks delicious.My daughter uses Miso I will have to get some I will put it on my list. Thanks for the tip. B

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  9. That sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!

    *I imagine that hawks flying over your chicken coup wouldn't be a good thing.

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    1. Yes, it was very good! Thanks for stopping by! :)

      And for the hawks, luckily our roosters and guard dog keep them away from the chickens! But it still does scare me when they fly over.

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  10. This soup not only looks so colorful and delicious, but easy too! I also like to make soup this time of the year, and it's always good to have a new recipe to try! Thanks for sharing this one:)

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    1. Thanks, Valerie! It is a pretty easy recipe. Definitely worth it :)

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  11. What a lovely and tasty looking soup this is!

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    1. Thank you! It was very tasty, even better with a drizzle of sesame oil.

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  12. There's nothing like soup on a cold day, and your Carrot Soup with Miso sounds really flavourful! I especially like the addition of the ginger - both for flavour and health reasons!

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    1. Yes, I love ginger as well! Thanks for stopping by, April! :)

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  13. What a wonderful autumn soup, thanks for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop!

    I hope to see you back again in the coming week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick

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    1. I'll definitely be back! Thanks for checking out my post, Kathy :)

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  14. carrot soup is one of my favorite things!!! thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things blog hop. Wishing you a beautiful day xo

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    1. Absolutely! Thank you for hosting such a fun blog hop. Hope you're having a great weekend :)

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  15. I love miso, this looks great! Your soup bowl is really cute also :)

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