Carrot Soup

By Nick Stellino
The light creamy texture of this soup is a truly delectable experience to relish. Augment the soup's hearty flavor by sprinkling pieces of fresh fennel and browned bacon over drizzled sour cream.
  • Cuisine: American
  • Course: Appetizer
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INGREDIENTS

  • bacon
  • carrots
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • fennel
  • garlic cloves
  • red pepper flakes
  • Sherry
  • Port
  • or Marsala
  • sour cream
  • Thyme
  • White onion

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a stockpot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the bacon and cook until well brown, stirring well about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a plate linked with a paper towel and set aside.
  3. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, thyme, and red pepper flakes to the pot and continue to cook over medium-high heat stirring well until the onion begins to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add the wine, bring to a boil and stir well to dislodge the brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by 1/2, about 3 minutes.
  5. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 40-45 minutes stirring well every 15 minutes.
  6. Add the soup, in batches, into a food processor and process it to smooth cream-like consistency. Place the soup back in the stock pot and keep warm.
  7. Serve the soup in bowls and decorate the top of each bowl with a light drizzle of sour cream, pieces of fresh fennel and pieces of browned bacon.
  8. Chef's Tip: For a more elegant finish, using a squirt bottle, decorate top of each bowl of soup with concentric circles of sour cream, then score it at equal intervals with the top of a paring knife's blade, moving from the outside circle inward, toward the inside circle. It will create a very elegant design.