Creamy Carrot Soup

Many people think that for every bowl of smooth creamy soup on the table there's a worn-out cook in the kitchen. Cream soups are so impressive they must be difficult, right?
Wrong. Actually, this family of soup is easy to make in advance, which makes them perfect for entertaining. In fact, because they're mostly pureed, its better to make them in advance. Since creaminess often comes from a simple addition, it's really no big deal, and there is no denying their elegance.

This classic French soup can be varied in several ways and also be produced in completely different fashion. Vegans will obviously want to use some kind of vegetable oil instead of butter. For a completely smooth soup, always be careful pureeing hot soup. Its important to let it cool down a bit before pureeing it in a blender.

For the recipe, you'll need the following ingredients..

3 tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 pound (453 gm) (approx. 4 large) carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large starchy potato, peeled and roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
5 cups (approx. 1 liter) vegetable stock or water
2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste (optional)

Directions:

Put the butter or oil in a large, deep saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts or the oil is hot, add the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the carrots soften a bit. Add the stock or water and cook until the vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pan. Or cool the mixture slightly (hot soup is dangerous), pour it into a blender, and puree carefully until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (You may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding.) Adjust the seasoning; if the soup tastes flat, stir in the sugar to play up the carrot flavor.

If you're serving the soup hot, reheat it in the saucepan. If you're serving it cold, refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Either way, but i definitely prefer this soup hot. You can garnish the soup with few chopped parsley leaves or coriander leaves and serve.