Carrot & Coriander Soup

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  There has been an unusual air of silence in my kitchen over the past few mornings as the boys are all back at school. I absolutely love my boys but after almost 4 weeks at home they were becoming almost allergic to each other. They were in bad need of a more 'structured' day so when it came time to get ready the school bags and uniforms for another term they were more than happy to help!
  
  
  The increase of temperature has also been warmly welcomed as I badly needed to restock my presses and fridge and with so many new cookbooks, ingredients were essential! There weren't many advantages to the 'big freeze' but one for me was the realisation that unknowingly I have been prepared for this for almost 3 years!! My larder presses are always bursting with produce and many ingredients, that aren't in my usually weekly recipe repertoire, were constantly being pushed to the back of the press. So as I was limited to the hubby picking up milk on the way home from work I started to cook my way through all these once dismissed ingredients. I must admit that not all the recipe would be considered ' blog worthy' but satisfying non the less!! However after a number of days my boys were getting quite tired of the 'another dish from all those hidden ingredients' tag line when I served them dinner! Needless to say we are all relieved to have access to the shops again and with the boys out of the equation Millie and I headed for a little grocery shopping and a much needed restock!

  
  

  

  
  

  I was delighted to pick up some very healthy herb plants in Lidl for a mere 1.49 which included a coriander plant. This Carrot and Coriander soup can be made without fresh coriander but for a fresher and fuller flavour I would recommend you pick up a little plant. The addition of cream isn't essential but as a self confessed cream addict I couldn't resist drizzling in a little into the soup before serving, but as this soup is so full of flavour it's inclusion isn't altogether necessary. I get my coriander seeds from a Cork based company Green Saffron and ground them in with a pestle and morter but you can buy ready ground coriander in any supermarket.

  After a big shop and with presses yet again full I'm fairly confident that if we are unlucky enough to encounter another big freeze I'm fully prepared for it!!

  
  

  Carrot & Coriander Soup
  

  
  Ingredients
  knob of butter
  drizzle of rapeseed oil/olive oil
  1 onion, sliced
  450g/1lb carrots, sliced
  1 potato, sliced
  1 tsp ground coriander
  1 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
  50mls cream
  large bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  salt and freshly ground black pepper
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  Method
  1. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan and add the onions, potato and the carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to soften.
  2. Stir in the ground coriander and season well. Cook for 1 minute.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
  4. Whizz with a hand blender or in a blender until smooth.Add the cream. Reheat in a clean pan, stir in the fresh coriander and serve.
     
     
     

     If you have got to this recipe by The Huffington Post I hope you enjoy the read and come visit the blog again some time.