Question - about soup

[Voy]

tomorrow I am doing my annual "big dinner party" - for 8

Here is the menu:

Carrot /ginger soup ( question to come shortly)

Roast pork
Sweet potato souffle
sweet/sour red cabbage
Sauteed apple rings
corn bread

poached pears with clove granite

So, the question is: I usually make the soup as a cream version - but I think that will be too rich with the rest of the meal.. so. I have been thinking about making it a clear soup - carrot slices and slivers of ginger floating around in a clear veggie/chicken broth. Whaddya think? I have also seen a recipe for basically this that they then say to put thru the blender ( which is how I do the cream version)

so: a) try a clear version at all? or stick with the tried and true cream version

and if a) should it be with the bits floating ( a la miso soup ) or thru the whizzer??

[Baz Faz]

I am not a soup person so I am the last person to give advice. But to me a clear consommé is not a welcoming dish. I would go with your original velouté.

[sophie]

How about using milk/ coconut milk instead of cream? When blended, the carrots thicken the soup up nicely. But you could use carrot with either sweet potato or squash and it will be thicker without the cream thickening it.

[lumi]

If you do go for the clear version, I'd whizz about half to three quarters in the blender and then mix it back with the unwhizzed quarter - best of both then! I have had lovely clear soups flavoured with ginger, garlic and soy so I see no reason for your clear soup to lack flavour.

[Voy]

Thanks all! I think I'm going to try Lumi's idea - then it won't look consomme-ish, but will still actually be quite "thin"

[lumi]

Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. It is getting on to soup weather here now so I think I'll buy myself a blender and start trying new soup recipes.

[auntieannie]

hmmm... I see you have made a decision. I personally prefer really thick soups/stews so would have followed Sophie's thoughts but understand this isn't what you want.

Another option would be a mixed vegetables soup in a clear broth where the vegetables are "julienned" or at least in small cubes. carrots, leeks, celeriac and potatoes, with or without tomatoes and swede would be my choice.

[Voy]

I tried Lumi's idea and it was ok. not bad. not great. but ok. with some tweaking I think it's a keeper. Simmered chopped onions and cut up carrots and grated fresh ginger in stock ( and I think next time will try beef stock for more ooomph?) then put most of that thru the blender. nice orange color - but without the "deepness" of the cream version. Added it to the rest of it - thinning it further, but with the carrot and ginger bits still there. Then added in extra sliced carrots for more color - a very good idea. Next time I think put all of it thru the blender AND add extra carrot slices. And I think also add ground ginger and lightly sautee it with the onions...tweak tweak tweak

[lumi]

nom nom nom nom!!