Purple Carrots Soup
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This recipe will turn out awesome with the beautifully blushing pinkish orange Delhi carrots. If you spot them in your market, you should never miss an opportunity to bring them home.
Ingredients
- 4 medium purple carrots
- 1 medium red onion
- handful of mint leaves
- handful of fenugreek sprigs
- few drops of neutral oil for roasting
- extra virgin olive oil for garnish ~ optional
- wedge of lemon
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400° F
- Wash the carrots, towel dry, trim the top, smear a little oil and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Peel the onion, cut in half, smear with a little oil and place face down on the sheet. Bake for 30-40 mins until tender and juices begin to run. Alternatively, you could pan roast them with a few drops of oil.
- Wash, pick and towel dry the mint and methi (fenugreek) sprigs. Leave out the tougher stem and just pinch out the sprigs and leaves.
- Heat oil in a skillet or kadai, add a few drops of neutral oil. When the oil is hot, drop the sprigs and roast until wilted. Blend the wilted herbs and roasted carrots when cooled, with some water to the desired soupy consistency.
- Transfer to a big pot, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and simmer on low for 10-15 mins.
- Drizzle some EVOO and serve warm with a wedge of lime or lemon on the side.
Notes
- I had originally used white onions and found that when roasted they tend to make the soup a little sweeter.
- For that reason, I have mentioned red onions in the recipe.
- Skip onions altogether, if they are too sweet for your taste.
- Feel free to add garlic for roasting and optionally, spice up the soup with roasted cumin powder and red chilli powder if you are in the mood for it.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 70
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is fenugreek (methi) and where do I find it?
Fenugreek sprigs (methi) are a leafy herb with a slightly bitter, maple-like flavor widely used in Indian cooking. For this soup you use a handful of sprigs, wilted in hot oil before blending with the roasted carrots. Look for fresh methi at Indian grocery stores; dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) can substitute in a smaller quantity.
Why does the recipe use red onion instead of white onion?
The notes explain this directly: the author originally used white onions and found that when roasted they make the soup too sweet. Red onion is recommended instead. The notes also say to skip the onion entirely if you find any onion too sweet for your taste.
Can I add other spices to this soup?
Yes — the notes suggest adding garlic for roasting alongside the carrots, and optionally spicing the finished soup with roasted cumin powder and red chili powder. The base recipe is intentionally mild to let the purple carrot flavor come through. 
