A creamy (but actually no cream) soup full of richness. Roasting the carrots really brings out the flavour. Makes 4 bowls/6 cups of soup.
2 pounds carrots
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt, divided, to taste
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped (or 2 tsp dried)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth (or water)
2 cups water
1 to 2 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tsp lemon or lime juice, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Wash carrots well and keep peel on. Cut them on the diagonal so each carrot is about 1/2″ thick at the widest part. Really, just make sure they are all about the same size.
Place the carrots in a bowl and toss with 3 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, lots of pepper and the parsley. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated and transfer to the baking sheet. Arrange them in a single layer.
Roast the carrots til they are caramelized on the edges and easily pierced with a fork, 25 to 40 minutes – turning them part way.
Once they are almost done roasting, in your soup pot add 2 tbsp olive oil and heat til shimmering. Add the onion and remaining garlic salt and cook, stirring occasionally, til the onion is soft, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the fresh garlic and cumin. Cooking til fragrant while stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom.
Add the roasted carrots. Bring the mixture to ta boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes to give the flavours a chance to meld.
Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool a few minutes. Add the butter, lemon juice (or lime if you want more Thai flavour) and several twists of black pepper. Transfer to a blender, working in batches if necessary.
Blend until completely smooth.
This soup keeps well in the fridge, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.