This Roasted Carrot Soup Transports You Into Monet’s Garden {RECIPE}

Claude Monet’s cook, Marguerite, often used carrots from his home garden in the dishes served at the artist’s dining table. After discovering the cookbook Monet’s Palate, I made a recent trip to my local farmers’ market, gathering carrots to make this soup.

The weight of many bunches of carrots selected and placed into my canvas bag pulled upon my shoulder as I imagined how this soup would be prepared from Monet’s kitchen garden at Giverny. My bag grew heavier after I added some fragrant spring leeks, a large bunch of celery still covered in mud, and other items I couldn’t resist. As soon as I got home, I washed off the soil from the carrots and prepared them for roasting. My kitchen soon filled with the sweet earthy aroma of roasted vegetables.

In the cookbook, details of Monet’s kitchen garden are explained; which vegetables he preferred (zucchini squash –or courgette— and celery, to name a few favorites) and how he enjoyed his salad greens (“Merveille de Quatre Saisons” head lettuce with red-tinted leaves and a buttery heart, and “Paresseux de Castillon” spinach) heavily seasoned with black pepper.

Monet’s kitchen garden was a sprawling 2 1/2 acres. Among the variety of vegetables planted, there were fruit trees, lettuces, herbs, melons, onions, leeks, beans, artichoke, rhubarb, and vegetables with unusual colors “to satisfy his colorist’s eye.” Carrots in Monet’s garden were the deep orange ‘Scarlet Nantes’ variety that dates back to the 1850s and the spike-shaped ‘St. Valery’ which dates back to 1885.

The ginger, cumin, and coriander in this carrot soup bring it to life, but the toasted almonds add another layer of flavor. For my own version at home, I used a sweet potato instead of the suggested baking potato, omitted the honey, and garnished with plain plant-based yogurt. 

Monet’s Palate Cookbook is full of inspiring and lively French recipes, many of which are vegetarian, or can be adapted as vegan and vegetarian, as the current culinary trends are parallel to Monet’s farm-to-table rustic home cooking described within his family’s cooking journals. From the cookbook: This soup, while still easy to make, is a bit more exotic in taste than a traditional French recipe. Roasting the carrots brings out their inherent sweetness; the addition of garlic, ginger and cumin adds an earthy depth of flavor; and fresh-from-the-garden coriander, also known as cilantro, adds brightness.

Serve this as a vegan lunch or a warm, nourishing bowl before your main course for dinner.

Roasted Carrot Soup with Ginger, Cumin, Coriander and Toasted Almonds

Ingredients

• 2 pounds (900 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1 celery stalk, diced

• 1 onion, diced

• 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced (cook’s note: I used 1 sweet potato)

• 5 whole garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 tablespoon peeled and chopped fresh ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

• 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth or stock

• 1 cup (240 ml) water

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (or cilantro), divided

• 1 tablespoon (20 g) honey (optional)

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1/2 cup shredded peeled carrots

• 1/4 cup (30 g) toasted slivered almonds

Directions

Place carrots, celery, onion, potato, garlic, ginger and cumin in a roasting pan or on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add olive oil and toss well. Roast until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized, 35 to 45 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a large pot. Stir in broth, water, 1 tablespoon coriander, honey, sea salt and pepper and bring to boil. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Using an immersion blender (or a high speed blender), puree soup until smooth. Adjust seasoning with additional sea salt and pepper.

Return soup to heat. Add shredded carrots and stir thoroughly.

Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each bowl with a bit of remaining coriander and toasted almonds. Serve immediately.