This soup is based  on one I found at a blog about Indian vegetarian cooking that I’ve been cooking from where it’s called Carrot Soup with Hint of Onions, Garlic, Coriander. The first time I made this, and the third time, I followed that recipe quite closely. The photos here are from the third time. This is a good starter dish for a meal or it could be the main course.

But the second time I didn’t even put carrots in the soup… the veggies were green beans from the garden including quite a few that were tough and bulging with beans, a summer squash (skin and all) that was on its way to taking over the universe, and some old vegetables from the refrigerator that needed using up but were still edible.

Because the soup was going to be blended and our blender is a sturdy old workhouse of a Vitamix, I used less than perfect ingredients. I really thought I was pushing too far with the tough beans and squash skin, but they all blended up very nicely! So this version could be called Blended Whatever Veggie Soup and I think it may become a staple at our house. Usually with good ingredients!

Ingredients for 4 servings

Use organic ingredients when you can. These quantities are very forgiving, that is, you can add more or less or do without. The white rice adds a really good texture, and the smell of garlic cooking in buttersweetly  fills the kitchen.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3  cloves of garlic
• About a pound of carrots
• One onion (I use a red one to deepen the color of the soup)
• One cube or tablespoon of vegetable bouillon
• 1/4 cup white rice (I used Basmati because that is what we keep on hand)
• Small bunch of fresh cilantro
• Sour cream, cream, or yogurt for garnish
• Salt to taste or people can add at the table

The Steps

(Since the soup will be thoroughly blended, you don’t have to cut anything up ultra fine. These carrots are from our organic garden, well scrubbed but not peeled. I even left the tiny rootlets on.)

1. Rinse and soak the rice in a small dish.
2. Using your soup pot, melt the butter in it. While the butter is melting, chop the garlic and then add it to the pot. Use a low temperature at this point.
3. Cut up the carrots and once the garlic is beginning to look cooked, stir into the butter-garlic mixture.
4. Add a quart of water. It can be any temperature, and now you can turn the heat up to a medium setting under the pot.
5. Cut up the onion and add it.
6. Mix the vegetable bouillon cube with a little water, very hot or boiling, mix with a spoon, and add to the soup.
7. Drain the rice and add it.
8. Stir, cover, and cook until the largest chunks of carrot and the rice are done. (We live at an elevation of 6,000 feet and the soup cooks in about 40 minutes here, but it could be less for you.)
9. Add the bunch of fresh cilantro. Let the soup cool in the pot with the lid off.
10. Blend the soup in your blender or food processor, in two or three batches.
11. As each batch comes out of the blender, put it in a saucepan that will hold all the soup. Then it can just sit around until you are ready to serve it. If you make it the day before you are serving it, refrigerate it.
12. Just before serving, heat it again to very hot or boiling.
13. Serve with yogurt, sour cream, or cream on the side.

Here is the result, ready to serve. You can see the creamy texture. And the image is ready to go on Pinterest!