CREAM OF CARROT SOUP WITH CRUNCHY APPLE

Carrot a beautiful orange colored root vegetable normally cooked as a side dish in South India.In North India it is used in salads, sweets,pulao and biriyani.Eating raw carrot is more beneficial for health,but carrot are used in a variety of ways .Carrot juice is also widely used as a health drink alone with carrots or mixed with other fruits.Carrot is well known for it's B-carotene, but when you eat them raw they releases only 3% during digestion and this will improve when you cooked. Pulp or chopped and cooked in soups,stews also grated and mixed with cake mixture or chopped or julienne carrots are mixed with rice are the most common ways to cook carrots.A bowl of piping hot soup will make a chilled winter evening more pleasant.

here I came up with a creamy, thick and delicious cream of carrot soup with a crunchy twist and here I go

INGREDIENTS:

Carrots -- 3

Onion -- 1 small

Garlic -- 3 cloves

Potato -- 1 small

Vegetable or chicken broth --- 300 ml or 1 can

Milk -- 1 cup (low fat milk)

Dry thyme - 1/2 tea sp (you can use fresh chopped thyme for more aroma)

Salt --- 1 tea sp or according to your taste

White pepper powder -- 1/2 tea sp

A dash of ground nutmeg

4 leaves of fresh spinach blanched and chipped finely

1 Apple de-seeded and chopped in to small chunks.

Olive oil -- 1 tab sp

METHOD:-

1. Wash carrots in lots of water(pealing the skin is optional) and cut in to small cubes.

2.Peal the potato and cut in to small cubes like carrot.

3. Cut the onion in to thin slices, Peal and chop garlic.

4. Heat olive oil in a saucepan add chopped garlic,onion stir for few seconds.

5.Add potato and carrot cubes,thyme give a good stir add broth mix well, bring to a full boil.

6. Reduce the flame,cover and cook in a low flame for 10 minutes.

7.Remove from heat and allow it to cool.

8.Blend the carrot mixture in a blender till smooth.

9.Bring back this carrot pulp to the saucepan add milk, chopped spinach and bring to a full boil,Reduce the flame and boil for 5 minutes, stir constantly.

10.Remove from heat add salt,pepper powder, nutmeg,Apple chunks mix well and serve hot.

Enjoy your chilled winter evening with hot crunchy,creamy carrot soup.

Note:-- you can use full cream milk instead of low fat milk

Butter in the place of olive oil

Can add 1/2 cup of cream for more rich taste and texture.

Can add more chopped spinach if you like.