Ingredients
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 green bell paprika
- olive oil
- bunch of carrots, about 8 to 10
- 2 onions
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2.5 liter chicken stock (85 oz)
- 1 red chili pepper (optional)
Kitchen equipment needed
- Chef’s knife + cutting board
- Mandoline (optional)
- 1 large pan which can hold at least 3 liters
- a potato peeler
Preparing the carrot soup — 10 minutes
START by washing the celery stalks, carrots and paprika. PREPARE 2.5 liters of chicken stock, we used two dehydrated bouilion 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, if you want to know how you can dice onions like a professional, click on this link: how to properly dice onions. THINLY slice the two garlic cloves and dice the green bell pepper.
Cooking the soup — 40 minutes
PUT a big pan on medium-high heat and add in some olive oil. Let the olive oil get hot, ten 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 liters of chicken stock, add two bay leaves and turn down the heat somewhat. Since we like spicy food, we’ve added in a whole red chili pepper. You ofcourse skip this step if you are not that into spicy stuff. Let the soup simmer for a good 30 minutes before serving. Take notice of the bay leaves before pouring in soup.
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