Double Carrot & Coriander Soup (Vegan, Wheat & Gluten Free)

Well it may be May here, but the weather doesn't seem to realise this, so I'm posting one of my favourite winter warmers to keep your tootsies warm on these chilly spring nights!

Double carrot and coriander soup is my twist on a classic recipe that I accidentally created (I meant  to add cumin - oops!) and instantly loved. It's very yummy and warming too, so I know you're going to love it.

This was also one of the recipes that I first put up on my YouTube channel as part of my Veganuary series in 2017:

This video also features Dylan the Cat who is sadly no longer with us, but thankfully even without his "assistance" you can still make a success of this simple recipe.

I normally use my slow cooker for recipes like this one, but I've also included instructions for making it on the hob. You could even make it in a microwave at a push.

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil (if used - omit to make recipe oil free)1 medium onion (add two for extra flavour if you don't have organic carrots)1 tspn ground coriander (spice)1/2 tspn chili powder30g (a small bag) fresh chopped coriander (cilantro)1kg carrots (organic if possible)2 x vegetable stock cubes dissolved in 1.5 pints of boiling water for the Hob method, or 1 pint of boiling water for Slow Cooker methodSalt and black pepper to taste

Hob Method 

Put the oil in a large metal saucepan. Peel and roughly chop the onions, add to the oil and fry gently until yellow and golden. (You can make this recipe oil free by water-frying the onions.)

Add the coriander spice and chili, and stir into the oil.

Allow to fry for a minute to ‘sizzle the spices’ which helps bring the flavour out.

Peel, top & tail and slice the carrots and add to the pan. Toss in the oil and fry for a minute or two.

Add the hot vegetable stock and fresh coriander, retaining a couple of leaves for the garnish. 

Stir well and leave to simmer gently for 20-30 minutes or until the carrot pieces are nice and soft.

Blend using a hand blender until smooth and thick. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Slow Cooker Method

Put the oil in a large metal saucepan. Peel and roughly chop the onions, add to the oil and fry gently until yellow and golden. (You can make this recipe oil free by water-frying the onions.)

Add the coriander spice and chili, and stir into the oil.

Allow to fry for a minute to ‘sizzle the spices’ which helps bring the flavour out.

Note: If you don't have access to a hob or hotplate, you can simply put the raw onion and spices directly into the slow cooker, omitting the oil.

Peel, top & tail and slice the carrots and put into your slow cooker. I use a 3.5 litre slow cooker for this recipe.

Add the onions mix, 1 pint of hot vegetable stock and roughly chopped fresh coriander, retaining a couple of leaves for the garnish. 

Stir well and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or until the carrots are soft and tender.

Blend using a hand blender until smooth and thick. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serving ideas: Top with a swirl of plain vegan yoghurt, some toasted pumkpin seeds, or some grated vegan cheese. 

Serve immediately topped with a coriander leaf accompanied by a doorstep of homemade bread. This can also be stored in the fridge for around 5 days, and will also freeze nicely.