vegan mofo :: carrot-potato soup and 20 variations

You can't judge a soup by its color.

There are so many reasons to love Carrot Potato soup, aka French Carrot Soup. First, there's the unapologetically autumnal flavor: earthy, comforting, slightly sweet and slightly starchy. Then there are the nutritional perks and frugality: vitamins A and B6, potassium, phytonutrients, fiber, etc – all for just pennies. And of course, simplicity is always a good thing, right? This burnt umber potage is so easy to make that even a culinary dunderhead could throw it together in less than 20 minutes of hands-on time. Finally, there's the reason for this blog post – the flexibility. This soup's neutral flavors make it receptive to countless customizations, depending on your mood, level of adventurousness, and what's lurking in your pantry. The base recipe packs a flavor wallop on its on. Twenty variation ideas follow. Feel free to add more suggestions as comments.

Carrot-Potato Soup [Base recipe]

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 cup non-dairy milk [eg, soy, rice, coconut, hemp, almond]
• 7 cups vegetable broth [Better Than Boullion is best]
• About 3 medium potatoes, quartered [Peeled and quartered if not organic]
• About 5 medium carrots, sliced

Serves about 6

Heat oil over medium in a stockpot. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Cook until carrots and potatoes are soft, about 30-40 minutes, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments, if needed.
Puree carefully using a blender or an immersion blender. Enjoy as is, or customize, per ideas below.

20 Variations

1. Curry: When sauteeing the onions and garlic in oil, add up to 1 T of your favorite curry paste [for a Thai version] or curry powder [for a Caribbean version]. Use coconut milk.
2. Provençal: Add 1 T herbes de Provençe. Top with chopped fresh basil or parsley.
3. Protein-packer: After pureeing, add two cups of your favorite cooked bean or legume. Kidney beans and black beans provide an interesting color contrast.
4. Smoky: Add up to 1T smoked paprika [or more, to taste]
5. Fat-Free and Easy: Skip the oil and the saute step. Just toss the remaining ingredients into a pot and carry on with the recipe as written.
6. Southwestern Chowder: Add 1 T chili powder. After pureeing, add 1 can [drained and rinsed] of black beans and 1 cup sweet corn. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.
7. "Je Ne Sais Quoi:" For added sophistication and complexity, toss in 1-2 bulbs of fennel, chopped.
8. Warming: Add 1 T minced fresh ginger to the onion-garlic saute. 
9. Sunny: Replace the cup of non-dairy milk with 1 cup of orange juice, fresh-squeezed, if possible. Add zest of one organic orange. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.
10. Dijon: After sauteeing onion and garlic, whisk in 1 T Dijon mustard.
11. Lean and Green: This version makes a much lighter soup. Skip the non-dairy milk. Use 8 cups broth and after pureeing [unless you don't mind a mud-colored soup], add 2 cups of roughly chopped spinach.
12. Hearty Andalusian: Add 1 T saffron and 1 tsp pimenton [Spanish paprika]. Use almond milk. After pureeing, add 2 cups cooked chickpeas and 1 cup toasted slivered almonds.
13. Mexican: Add 1 T cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 T oregano. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.
14. Indian: Add 1 T minced ginger and up to 1 T garam masala. Top with chopped fresh cilantro.
15. Pistou: Just before serving, top each bowl of soup with 1 T pesto.
16. Latin-Style: Add 1 large green [unripe] plaintain, sliced,  and up to 1 cup sofrito
17. Extra-earthy: Add 2 cups mixed chopped mushrooms.
18. Sweet and Warming: Add 2-3 T maple syrup and 1 tsp cinnamon.
19. Rosemary's Baby:  Incredibly harmonious flavor pairing! Skip the bay leaf and add the leaves from 3-4 fresh rosemary stems. 
20. Asian Fusion: Substitute miso broth for veggie broth. Just before serving, top with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and some mung bean sprouts.