Cream of Carrot Soup
Start to finish: 1 hour (at least 30 minutes hands off)
Makes 8 servings
4 slices bacon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground
pepper to taste
¼ cup uncooked white rice
6 cups less-sodium chicken or vegetable broth ½ cup heavy cream
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL)
Crumbled cooked bacon Crumbled feta, goat cheese or blue
cheese Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions: In a large pot or a Dutch oven, sauté the bacon until it is crisp, over medium-high heat. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, let cool and drain, and crumble the bacon. Set aside. Pour off all the bacon fat from the pot and then melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, until the carrots have started to become tender.
Add the rice and the chicken broth, turn the heat to high and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the vegetables are completely tender and the rice is very soft. Purée the soup in batches in a blender or a food processor, or use an immersion blender to purée it in the pot, until very smooth.
Stir in the cream and heat through. Serve the soup hot, topped with the bacon, a crumble of whatever cheese you like and some parsley. Give it a final sprinkle of pepper if desired.
Nutrition information per serving:
173 calories; 81 calories from fat; 9 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 27 mg cholesterol; 294 mg sodium; 19 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 5 g protein