Carrot soup

Preparation -- 10 minutes

START by washing the celery stalks, carrots and paprika. PREPARE 2.5 litres of chicken stock, we used two dehydrated bouillon cubes for this. 

You can use store-bought stock if you prefer. USE a potato peeler to rid the carrots of their skin, then slice them as thick as you like.

The general rule of thumb is that thicker carrot slices take longer to boil, so it's usually better to slice them somewhat thinner. You can slice the carrots using a chef's knife or as we did: with a mandoline.

A mandoline is a big time saver when it comes to mise en place. REPEAT for the three celery stalks, though celery usually cooks faster than carrots, we still prefer to slice them quite thinly.

FINELY dice the two onions and slice the two garlic cloves and dice the green bell pepper. 

Finishing up the carrot soup -- 40 minutes

PUT a big pan on medium-high heat and add in some olive oil. Let the olive oil get hot, then add in the diced onions along with the garlic cloves.

Saute them for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add in the carrot slices. Adding the carrot slices is an important step because this will soften the carrots before boiling them.

STIR lightly, when you notice that the carrot slices are softened, add in celery slices and diced green bell pepper. Mix and cook for about 3 minutes.

POUR in the 2.5 litres of chicken stock, add two bay leaves and turn down the heat somewhat. Since we like spicy food, we've added in whole red chilli pepper. You can skip this step if you are not that into spicy food.

Let the soup simmer for a good 30 minutes before serving. Take notice of the bay leaves before pouring in soup.