I have been really into Asian flavors lately, and I have started to keep white miso paste in my refrigerator to make quick miso soups for those nights that I don’t feel like cooking dinner. This is even better, because you know what else I always have? Carrots! And onions! And sesame oil. You really can’t skip the sesame oil in this recipe, it magnifies the deliciousness of the soup.
Making carrot soup is easy, but you have to spice it up a little bit so it doesn’t seem like something we made for Richie. We already know that carrot, ginger and miso are a perfect trio, and Deb gave us a more substantial way to combine them! This makes a great light dinner with some string beans, or you can make it a good first course in a more substantial meal, whatever floats your boat!
Carrot Soup with Miso and Sesame from Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (it could easily be doubled)
- 2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2-3 tablespoons white miso paste, to taste
- Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
- Scallions, very thinly sliced
Directions:
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and carrots and saute for 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent.
- Add the broth or water and ginger. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender.
- Puree the soup with your immersion blender, or, if you don’t have one, in a blender or food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of miso, puree again, and taste to see if you’d like to add more miso.
- Serve with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and/or chopped scallions.
