Never underestimate the power of shrimp on anything! It makes every dish sweeter and more succulent by being included in the party. Case in point: this Creamy Carrot soup with Charred Shrimp had us going back for more every time. What started out
- Its Low Carb
- Looks pretty
- Super high in beta carotene
- It’s a flexible recipe, you can have it hot or cold, all year round
We conceived this soup as an appetizer for clients celebrating a belated 35 year anniversary here in Miami. At first, the wife was hesitant to try the soup, thinking she wouldn’t like it, but after the first bite, she loved it!
Weeks later we had another event with them and she was still raving about this soup. Her husband quietly turned to me saying
“she doesnt remember what she had for breakfast this morning….but she remembers this soup”
How to make Creamy Carrot Soup
Making Creamy Carrot soup is a simple one pot situation. It starts with onions and ends with softened carrots ready for the blender.
When you saute onions, you release their natural sugars. As they cook, the onions start caramelizing and developing a deeper flavor. It’s important to let the onions caramelize before adding the carrots. Carrots have a lot of water and won’t let the onions caramelize properly.
Once the onions are caramelized, add the carrots and liquid. You dont need to brown the carrots, they will cook with the liquid until fork tender. Blend everything together
Using Broth vs. Water
Using broth or water to cook the carrots largely depends on where you are going with this soup. If it’s winter, and you want a hot soup, use Chicken or vegetable broth. It has more aromatic compounds that will be released with the heat.
If it’s hot outside and you want a more refreshing soup, omit the broth and stick with water. You can flavor it with more refreshing things like alcohols, fruits, or citrus juices.
Like this Chilled Strawberry Coconut soup that has coconut flakes and fresh strawberries
Adding Flavor with Tangerine Juice or Vodka
To make the chilled soup even more interesting, you can add a citrusy tangerine juice (fresh orange juice works too). It adds a sweet, bright note to the flavor that makes it fun to eat.
You can enhance it further by adding a shot of vodka to the soup too! From a chef’s perspective, unflavored Vodka does not add any unique flavor, but it enhances the flavors already present. If you’ve ever had a Screwdriver, it’s the same logic. You’ll taste more of the orange juice than if you just had orange juice by itself.
How to cook shrimp
Cooking shrimp is best on cast iron skillets, but any non-stick pan on high heat will do. Add a little oil to the pan and the shrimp. Don’t move them for 2-3 minutes per side. You want the heat to develop that caramelization.
Alternatively, if you have a blowtorch, you can torch the shrimp to get a fast caramelization without overcooking it. This approach sears the shrimp like a steak but does not allow the heat to penetrate deep enough to overcook it.
Creamy Carrot soup with Charred Shrimp
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
This sweet and smoky shrimp soup is perfect for summer. Dairy free and ready in 15 minutes.
Ingredients
- 12 Shrimp
- 3 Carrots diced
- 1 Cup Cauliflower Florets
- 1 onion
- 1.5 cups Chicken Stock or Shrimp stock (or water)
- 1/4 cup Diced Fennel
- 1 orange cut into segments
Instructions
- Saute the onions until brown in a pot
- add carrots and stock.
- Simmer until carrots are fork tender.
- Blend until smooth and chill.
For the Shrimp and Cauliflowers
- In a skillet on medium high, add a little oil and place the cauliflowers.
- Let caramelize for at least 3 minutes without touching.
- Flip and repeat. They will be al dente.
- Repeat for the shrimp.
Notes
You can make the soup a little sweeter by adding fresh orange juice or honey.
You can serve the soup hot or cold. If hot, omit the raw fennel.
- Category: Soups
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Tropical Soups
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 15g
- Sodium: 16g
- Fat: 2g
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 30G
- Fiber: 4G
- Protein: 19G
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Carrot Soup, How to make carrot soup, Easy carrot soup recipes
A little about me
I’m a chef and a former psychologist. I spent years studying how we experience food to make the best eating experiences possible- and I show you how to eat well on this site. I host secret popups in Miami, FL teaching people how to approach good food that’s never been done before.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @CasaLagoTastingRoom on Instagram! I wanna see it!
Tasty!
★★★★★