Curried Carrot and Coconut Soup
My parents recently gave me the largest bag of carrots from their garden. My lovely Dad went out on a cold winters morning and dug them especially for me. When I got up last Sunday morning they they were in a basket on their counter ready to be turned into something wonderful. He’s been doing things like that for me since I left home which is just so nice. It’s his way of making sure his kids and grandchildren are eating lot’s of healthy food. His mind is at ease once he knows i’m heading back to Dublin with a few baskets of carrots, beetroot and organic veggies.
These carrots are no ordinary carrots. They honestly do not smell like any carrot I have ever bought in a supermarket. In fairness they don’t look very appealing with their bumps, bruises and disfigurations but when they are washed, peeled and chopped …the smell!!!! Seriously will blow your mind away and every time I cook with them I think ‘wow this really is what a carrot should smell like’. Maybe its the love my Dad gives them when he’s growing them, maybe its the home made fertilisers he uses or maybe its the lack of pesticides, I just don’t know but these are just carrots worth travelling for.
Get your kids cooking (even the toddler sized ones)
Whether it be making cookies, muffins or carrot soup, getting your little one involved in the cooking is a great way to get them not only interested in food, it is also a great way of spending some fun time together. My little toddler has been helping in the kitchen more and more these days, I actually can’t cook without him as he doesn’t want to be left out. His trick is to pull the chair over to the counter press every button he can, even mine at times. However, it’s been a great way to get him to try new foods that he normally would not have eaten.
He was never crazy about eating carrots on their own when he was smaller, we had to coax him or sing a little song but it worked at the time. This time though as I chopped carrots he was ‘stealing’ them and I was pretending to be really shocked that another carrot had disappeared. I had cut a few into long strips just for this to see what happened and it worked! He actually ate half of a regular sized raw carrot!
Just to note – Oscar has all of his teeth, is also 32 months and is well able to eat foods like raw carrot. Don’t try this with smaller babies. Ensure foods like carrot are cooked until they soft and able to be squashed between your forefinger and thumb before offering to smaller little ones.
This soup is a great way of also introducing children to spices and herbs. The carrots add so much nutritious goodness and they go so well with lemongrass and curry. The curry powder adds a very slight curry flavour and it is definitely not overpowering or spicy.
I hope you like it and feel free to comment below with any questions or feedback. I love hearing from you all.
Aileen & Oscar xoxox
Curried Carrot and Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- Glug of olive oil
- 1 large Spanish white onion or 2 regular onions
- 800 g carrots - washed + topped and tailed
- 20 g fresh root ginger roughly chopped
- 1 stick lemongrass bashed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons of either plain/buckwheat flour
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder
- 1 400 ml tin coconut milk
- 1 litre homemade chicken/vegetable stock
- 500 ml water
- Pepper to season
Garnish
- Natural yogurt
- Fresh parsley leaves
Method
- Pour a little olive oil into a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat.
- Roughly chop the onions and fry until they are soft and translucent. Then, roughly chop the carrots and add them along with the ginger and lemongrass. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring often.
- Add the flour and spices then and stir really well until it sticks to everything becomes like a paste. Allow the mixture to cook for a further minute stirring well as you do. This will help your soup to thicken up during cooking.
- Very slowly stir in the coconut milk stirring well as you do to prevent lumps from forming, then add the stock and water again pouring slowly to make sure everything is combined well.
- Season with a little pepper (I just added 1/2 a teaspoon)
- Cook for 15 minutes at the most, the carrots should be al dente (not completely soft and mushy). Pour the soup into a blender and blend until it is smooth and creamy. You may have to do this in two batches.
- To serve garnish with a dollop of natural yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
*
Recipe Notes & Tips
Writen by Aileen Cox Blundell - number one bestselling author, award winning blogger and Mum of 3 kiddies who all eat their veggies.
You might also like these lunch recipes
Videos
MOST VIEWED VIDEOS
Blueberry Oat Bars
Up next
Baby Led Weaning Chilli Baked Bean Cowboy Pie
Videos
MOST VIEWED VIDEOS
Baby Led Weaning Chilli Baked Bean Cowboy Pie
Up next
Apple and Cinnamon Super Breakfast Muffins
Videos
MOST VIEWED VIDEOS
Apple and Cinnamon Super Breakfast Muffins
Up next
Chicken and Veggie Pies
Videos
MOST VIEWED VIDEOS
Chicken and Veggie Pies
Up next
Broccoli and Cauliflower Egg Free Fritters
Videos
MOST VIEWED VIDEOS
Leave a comment: