What's Soup Doc?

Mmmm, cold soup.  With the crazy weather we've been having here in NC, cold soup is a welcome addition at dinner and this one is particularly refreshing -- a cold carrot bisque.  It's got a slightly grainy texture so you don't lose that token nod to carrot crunch.

Cold Carrot Bisque

1 tbsp minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 3/4 lbs carrots, sliced thinly
1 1/4 qt vegetable stock or broth
1 oz white wine
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 pt orange juice
3.5 oz yogurt
1 cup carrot juice
salt to taste

Saute shallots, garlic, ginger and onions in butter.

Add carrots, stock/broth, wine, cardamom and orange juice; simmer for 30 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Remove from heat and puree to a smooth texture and then chill.

Add in yogurt, and thin with carrot juice, adjust seasoning before serving.

For garnish, we used some purple cabbage, but you can also use carrot chips, ginger chips, chives or a dollop of whipped cream.

We used pre-minced shallots, garlic and ginger that we keep on hand for recipes.  You can always use fresh, but because the amount we used was so small, it's just as easy to use the pre-prepped stuff.

Unless you have a food juicer, plain carrot juice can be tricky to come by, but we found a carrot-apple blend to use.  The best place to find them is in the organic or specialty food areas of your grocery store.