Carrot and Mint Soup

I make this soup often. The mint adds such freshness to the sweet carrots for a beautiful combination. Anyone who tastes it is so pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable this soup is, as well as it feeling very nourishing. I enjoy this as a light meal in any season, and also like to serve it in shot glasses as an entrée to a Middle Eastern meal - it can even adapt to a European theme. Using vegetable stock will suit vegans and vegetarians, and kids love it too.

Pictured: Carrot and Mint Soup

1kg bag carrots, sliced into coins
1 brown onion, roughly chopped
1 litre chicken stock, or vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh mint, leaves torn off, discard stems
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a large soup/casserole pot with a lid add a splash of olive oil and toss in the carrots and onion til well covered in oil.

Put the lid on and place the pot on the stove: low – med heat.

Stirring every now and then, “sweat” the vegetables til soft. You do not want to fry and brown the vegetables; you want to soften them while keeping in all their flavor and juices. This will take 5 – 10 minutes.

Once vegetables are soft, add chicken stock and slowly bring to boil, turn heat down straight away and simmer a few minutes to blend the flavours together. Take the pot off the heat and let cool a little – this makes it easier to blend the soup.

Once cool enough to handle, add the soup and mint leaves to a blender – all in one large one, or if you have a small one like I do split the leaves amongst each batch so you are blending soup and mint every time.

Pour soup back into a large pot to reheat for serving, stir it well for consistency and taste it first before seasoning as chicken stock can be salty. Season with pepper and salt.

Serve with warm crusty bread.

Serves 6