This delicious Yellow Curry Carrot Soup with harissa glazed garbanzos and roasted peanuts easily satisfies a soup craving with its’ buttery, warm, textural composition. We took inspiration from Moosewood’s African Peanut Soup, our own Moroccan Carrot Soup and the curry blends curated by Raghaven Iyer for savory dishes. The addition of apples and peanut butter dive into a depth of flavor that you don’t expect from a carrot soup. It comes together easily and pairs great with warm pita and maybe a nice cucumber-red onion salad with crumbled feta. Just a thought. We made this last week, enjoyed it for lunch with our kids. A couple of days later, while rummaging through the fridge I pulled out some ingredients for a basmati bowl. I assembled each bowl with the rice, then baby spinach, roasted cauliflower, falafel and sauced it all with this fabulously flavorful soup. I finished it with sprinkling of roasted peanuts & chopped cilantro. It was killer good and really easy because all the flavors were right there in the soup. The harissa recipe is below or you can use a good store-bought version.
Here’s what you need for the soup:
Makes approximately 1-1/2 Quarts
- 1 lb large organic carrots (we used orange), skin on, cut into 1″ lengths
- 3 T coconut oil, melted (plus more for garbanzo beans)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, approximate 1-1/2 cups
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 leek, white parts only, chopped
- 2 red organic apples, skin on, seeded and chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 Qrt organic vegetable stock
- 1 C water
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1 T cinnamon
- 1 T toasted ground cumin
- 1 T toasted ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric, dry or fresh
- 2-1/2 T yellow curry (we used Penzy’s sweet yellow curry)
- 2 T grated fresh organic ginger
- 1 T fresh lemon juice (or lime juice)
- 1 tsp fresh organic orange zest
- 1 (13) oz can coconut milk
- 1/2 C organic creamy peanut butter
- 2 C organic garbanzo beans
- 2 T coconut oil, melted
- 1/2 C homemade harissa
- 1/2 C roasted peanuts
- 1/2 C organic cilantro, chopped
- Salt
- salt, pepper as needed
- 1-2 T Organic sugar (of so desired)
Heat oven to 450. On a parchment lined sheet pan, place carrots, toss in coconut oil, garam masala and salt. Cover with foil and roast for approximately 40 minutes until carrots are very soft and slightly caramelized.
On another parchment lined sheet pan, place garbanzos. Toss in coconut oil and harissa. Place in the preheated 450 oven for approximately 15 minutes until lightly caramelized. Remove from oven and set aside until ready to serve.
In a 3 to 4 quart stock pot, on medium heat, add olive oil, onions, shallot, leeks and apples and saute’ for approximately 5 minutes until aromatics and apples become soft. Add in garlic and saute for 3 more minute. Add vegetable stock and water, cardomom, cumin, turmeric, curry, ginger, lime juice and orange zest. Bring to a soft boil and add in roasted carrots. With an emersion blender, blend until soup is smooth. Add in coconut milk and peanut butter and stir to combine. Turn down to medium-low heat and cover. Cook, stirring often for about 20 minutes so all flavors come together.
To serve, evenly divide soup into bowls. Top with equal amounts of harissa glazed garbanzos, roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro.