Roasted Carrot Soup with Chili Oil

Roasting brings out the carrots' sweetness before the blender does the rest. Make extra chili oil; it is useful on almost anything.

Ingredients

• 800 g carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 onion, cut into wedges
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 thumb ginger, grated
• 750 ml vegetable stock
• 100 ml cream or coconut cream
• Chili oil, toasted pumpkin seeds, salt, and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C. Toss carrots and onion with oil, salt, and pepper; roast for 30 minutes until caramelised.
2. Tip the vegetables into a saucepan with ginger and stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Blend until completely smooth, then stir in cream. Adjust the seasoning and thin with hot water if needed.
4. Ladle into bowls and finish with chili oil and seeds.

Serve it with

Serve with toasted sourdough and salted butter.

Time and portions

Allow about 10 minutes for preparation and 40 minutes for roasting and simmering. This recipe makes four moderate bowls. The oven time is a guide: the carrot pieces should be tender and browned at the edges before they go into the pan.

How to get a smooth soup

Cut the carrots into similar-sized chunks so they roast evenly. Spread the vegetables out instead of crowding them into a deep dish; steam trapped around the carrots makes them softer but gives less browning. Stir once during roasting if the edges colour unevenly.

Start blending with the listed stock, then add hot water a little at a time if you prefer a thinner soup. An immersion blender lets you work in the saucepan. If using a jug blender, follow its instructions for hot liquids and blend in small batches; do not seal a hot, full jug.

Taste after adding the cream. A small squeeze of lemon can balance sweetness, and chili oil is best added to each bowl so everyone can choose the heat.

Substitutions

Use coconut cream and vegetable stock for a dairy-free version. Coconut adds its own flavour; choose dairy cream if you want the carrots and ginger to stand out more. Leave out the chili oil for a mild soup and use olive oil with toasted pumpkin seeds instead.

If you have no fresh ginger, make the soup without it rather than adding a large amount of ground spice. Taste the finished soup before deciding whether it needs more seasoning.

Storage and reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within two hours. Eat refrigerated leftovers within two days or freeze them, following Food Standards Agency guidance. Reheat only the portion you need until steaming hot throughout, stirring so the centre heats evenly. Keep the chili oil and seeds separate until serving.

More seasonal cooking

Try the white bean skillet for another simple bowl, or serve this soup before a beetroot and goat cheese tart.