Really quick soup advice

EasyAs123

I've just found a kilo bag of carrots I forgot to put away

They're starting to get a big grim looking in the condensationy bag, so I figured I throw them all in my Slowcooker and make a really carroty soup :j

I've got leftover gammon, tons of spices (you name it, it's in there somewhere), onions, lentils, garlic, bell peppers, a half butternut squash, frozen mix veg, spinach, stock cubes. No potatoes though

Looking for advice on what would be worth adding to the soup (and in what ratios) to make it something other than pur!ed carrots...

Probably about 750g carrots if topped, tailed, and Manky bits cut out.

FairyPrincessk

I'd start by chopping and frying off an onion and a bit of garlic. You can use celery as well if you have it to use up. I'd probably also toss in the seasonings below and fry a bit then add that with the chopped veg below to the slow cooker. I would then add just enough stock to cover it and end by blending when the soup is finished.

You could add

-gammon and cumin seeds
-butternut squash and curry powder
-bell peppers, lentils, chili flakes, cumin and coriander
-just coriander (I usually do a milk based soup for this so not sure how it would work in the sc)

honeythewitch

I would freeze half of the carroty soup, and then add the rest of stuff, otherwise it will just be carrot, carrot, and more flipping carrot. (I overdid the carrots in soup once. They are quite overwhelming:D)

McKneff

I would like to ask a question.


If you are going to blend a soup at the end of a few hours cooking in the slow cooker, why bother cutting it up small at the beginning.
And why bother frying the onion and garlic if it is going to be cooked in the slow cooker, then blended with everything else.

FairyPrincessk

You don't need to cut it up that small if it will be blended, but it will cut down on cooking time, even in the slow cooker.

Frying the onion and the garlic helps to bring out the flavour of these two ingredients. It isn't crucial, but it will result in a tastier soup.

maman

If you don't want to use all the carrots for your soup just dice/slice and freeze then you can add a handful to soups/casseroles at a future date.

Horace

I make a soup called fridge forage soup - a couple of tired carrots go in roughly chopped, I peel and roughly chop an onion, sling in some tired tomatoes. Cover with water, add some dried herbs, a good dose of black pepper, add a handful of pearl barley and leave in the slow cooker. When everything is soft, I get my stick blender out and blitz it. Result one tasty soup that can be eaten fresh or you can freeze it.

EasyAs123

Thankyou all.

I decided in the end to hodgepodge your suggestions together - roasted peppers, onion and garlic. Added some garam as it's a little sweeter.

When it's cooked I'll fish out half the carrot lumps and throw together with some gammon, beans and tomatoes to make a 'casserole'.

I'll add lentils and more spice to the remainder to make a curried soup.

Should keep me in lunches for work and freeze nicely.

Primrose

I was just going to suggest adding red lentils when I read your comment. They are ideal for helping to thicken soup and don't need to be pre-soaked. I've just made a pan of Harvest Festival soup from a mixture of garden grown veg and thrown in a generous handful of lentils The other ingredient for turning a soup into a meal in a bowl is small pieces of pasta.

splishsplash

I make a carrot and coriander soup in about 15 minutes in a pan on the stovetop, I really wouldn't use a slow cooker for carrots.

I use carrots, onion, spoon of ground coriander and pepper. Simmer for the 15 mins, blitz and add some fresh coriander. Done.

I usually use 1kg carrots to 1l stock (I use hm chicken stock). I would use a scant handful of lentils to thicken it if needed (will need extra cooking time if you go this route), or a chopped spud or a tablespoon or two of leftover mash, or even some cornflour.

Carrot and fennel is another good combination. I use chicken stock for that too, not veg.

Butterfly_Brain

You could use half and use the rest to make a stew with the gammon or how about a carrot cake