Miso Carrot Soup

If there is ever a day for soup, it's today. I'm currently sitting on the chesterfield looking out our big bay window to the street below. Hurried cyclists dodge the puddles and the falling branches from the maple trees which are being blown around by the worst storm in sixty years, the tail end of typhoon Songda. All the pretty golden leaves that adorned the trees like crowns, lay scattered on the sidewalk. Along with the wind, heavy rains have come and that towel I left on the cloths line shows no hope of ever drying off by this point. As chaotic as it sounds, these are the cozy fall evening I live for. The record player is spinning, the salt light's burning, and a big pot of soup is simmering away on the stove. And here I am, filled to the brim with contentment.

This week has been a week of post-Thanksgiving recovery. After feeling like we went a little heavy on the indulgent foods (both ginger snaps and pumpkin pie), it's nice to have some lighter fare (re: carb-less) and veggie centric meals on the menu....and stretch pants. Bless those stretch pants. This week we've been curing the post holiday blues by munching on loads of roasted squash (kabocha has taken the place of spaghetti in our house and is now slathered with pasta sauce, other roast veggies and nut parm - hello yummy!), and simple one pot meals - like soup.

When the weather turns dark and dim, I find that we head towards low maintenance foods that can simmer away while we curl up to read or watch a movie. You know those meals that involve little chopping, clean up, and best of all ones you can make with what you already have in the fridge (because who really wants to leave the house again anyways?). This carrot and miso soup is just that. It's a recipe I stole from Adam, who is a soup genius, FYI. It's a one pot wonder, contains only nine ingredients, and is that perfect blend of sweet and salty and comfort. Best of all, soups like this are so economical and cost so little to make you can start saving for all those Libra birthday loves in your life. Wink wink friends !

CARROT MISO SOUP + SEAWEED SNAPS

You'll want to add the miso to this soup after everything has cooked because once miso boils all the healthy benefits contained within it  are destroyed. If you're not going to serve a crowd, you may want to divide the miso and soup into two portions and season half  of it now and the other half after you reheat it later.

Serves 4, Print Recipe Here

1 Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 Tbsp. Oil
8 Large Carrots, Peeled + Chopped (about 5 Cups)
½ tsp. Coriander
6-7 Cups Stock (Depending on how thick you like it)
5 cm Ginger (2 inch)
3 Tbsp. Miso
1 tsp. Tamari

Garnish:
Lemon Wedges
Chili Flakes
Cilantro

1. Heat a medium pot to low and add the oil and onion. Sweat the onion until it turns soft and begins to become translucent. Add the garlic, coriander, and half the ginger (peeled and chopped). Stir for a few minutes then add the carrots and let them cook for a few minutes to mingle with the other flavours.
2.  Next add 5 cups of the stock and bring the mixture to a simmer. Once it simmers, cover (slightly ajar is best) and let it cook until the carrots and onions are very tender, about 3o minutes or so.
3.  Once the carrots are soft, take the soup off the heat and either carefully puree it in a blender, or use an immersion blender until it is 'souper' smooth (lol). Bring the remaining 1-2 cups stock (if you like a thicker or thinner soup) to a boil, take it off the heat,  and stir in the miso and tamari until combined. Add this mixture to the soup and stir to combine. Before serving squeeze in some lemon and garnish with cilantro, chives, chili, or whatever you're feeling.

SEEDWEED SNAPS

I used Millet and Garbanzo bean flour here to keep it G/F, but feel free to use any flour.

Adapted from this recipe

¾ Cup Millet Flour
¼ Cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
½ tsp. Sea Salt
¼ Cup Water
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
½ Sheet Nori
Maldon Salt
Sesame Seeds

1. Mix the flours and sea salt together. Stir in the water and oil and mix until combined. Flour a sheet of parchment and place the dough on top of it. Add a little more flour to the top of your dough and lay another sheet of parchment on top of it. Begin to roll out the dough as thin as you can. You should lift the top sheet of parchment after a couple of passes of the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. You may need to add more flour as you go. Once the mixture is thin, remove the top sheet of parchment from the crackers and score them into squares or diamonds. Brush the top of the crackers with a little water and sprinkle with sesame seeds, salt, and chopped seaweed.
2. Slide the bottom piece of parchment with the dough on it, onto a baking tray and bake at 180 C (350 F) for 15 minute. After this time check on them. The outer ones may be brown and crisp while the centre ones aren't cooked enough. Now is a good time to remove any cooked ones and space out any under baked ones. Return the tray to the oven and cook for a few minutes longer or until the crackers are crisp and brown.

xox Sophie