Carrot-Dill Soup
These days our late afternoons or early evenings are spent in the garden. It’s been too hot earlier in the day to do much outside, and if we go late the bugs find us quickly. My mom planted a big garden, knowing we’d be home to help in the work and indulgence of it. Anticipation is high, as we await the staggered entry of garden treasures. It is fun to see my boys run through the rows to check on the progress of every item, even if it has been only two days since we last confirmed it wasn’t time yet…
Growing up in southern Manitoba, like many others, I have vivid sensory memories built around dill. The soft fronds that brushed against our legs as we walked through the wild patches growing between the straight rows of the garden, the scent of it wafting from the kitchen as jars were filled with its folded lengths in preparation for pickles, and the flavor it still lends to a chilled creamy potato salad pulled out of a picnic basket for a summer lunch in the shade.
My carrot-ginger soup, found in VOLUME has long been a favorite in our home and at camp. Here is an early summer version using fresh dill, and using up the last of last-season’s carrots as we await the new harvest.
Carrot-Dill Soup Makes about 10 cups
This is a blended soup, so uniformity in dice sizes will contribute to even cooking and overall consistency of your puree. Chef Tip: Roast your pepper whole on the grill/bbq while making dinner the day prior to making this soup. Once the skin is nicely blackened, place it in a paper bag to ‘sweat’. This will make it easy to peel.
1 large onion, peeled and diced
2 jumbo carrots (or 4-5 regular sized carrots), peeled and diced
1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2-3 red potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, coarse chopped
1 red pepper, roasted and peeled/seeded
5~ cups water, vegetable or a light chicken stock
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper
Directions:
Place your soup pot on the stove, and prepare the vegetables as described above.
Turn the element on medium heat. Place 2 Tbs of oil in the hot pot and sauté the onions for 3-5 minutes or until nearly translucent. Stir in a teaspoon of sea salt.
Next, add the carrots, garlic and sweet potatoes and sauté another few minutes before adding the potatoes, red pepper and enough liquid to cover the vegetables.
Place the lid on the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
Check on the tenderness of the vegetables, add a few grinds of black pepper and another teaspoon of salt. When the vegetables are fully cooked, remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup. Adjust as needed, with more water if the puree is too thick. Taste for seasoning after adding the lemon juice and freshly chopped dill. It always takes more salt than you think, so if you feel it is lacking, add more salt and maybe a bit more lemon juice.
Serve hot with fresh biscuits, or even enjoy it chilled! It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
an evening stroll on the prairies
