Spicy creamy carrot soup with carasau bread

If you follow my Instagram account @francesca_verrucci you'd probably noticed that I make soups, mainly of the creamy variety, very often.

But I have almost no soup recipe published on the blog so far (with the exception of this pappa al pomodoro). And the reason is that in most cases my soups are the result of improvised recipes, created on the basis of the vegetables I have on hand at the moment - usually seasonal - and, let's say, the mood of the day (simple vs complex, rich vs light, spicy vs mild, smooth vs crunchy).

The result of this modus operandi?

On average a good dinner, with several cases of unexpectedly delicious dishes.

Some iPhone pictures taken just before eating the soup, that means bad artificial light (I usually make soups for dinner), zero styling, impromptu food arrangement, and not much time to take photos (just imagine to have somebody with the spoon in his hand, waiting for you to finish and sit at the table to start eating - and I don't like to eat cold food either).

Few Instagram posts - of course only when pictures are at least decent.

And ... no written recipe.

What a shame, especially for those soups really deserving to be made again!

So I've decided to change approach: when I make a new, untested soup from scratch, I take note of, at least, ingredients and quantities used, taste and, if the result is satisfying, write down also the preparation method in order to have the whole recipe for the future and, sooner or later, share it on the blog in case someone would like to try it (I've actually received some recipe requests for dishes shared on Instagram).

And of course take proper pictures (not at the dining table).

This might not be an orthodox recipe testing process but the result is anyway a properly written recipe, including all the ingredients and their respective amounts as well as the preparation steps.

The creamy carrot soup of this post is the first of the recipes born out of this "creative process" of mine.

And I am glad to share it on the blog because it is really tasty.

And easy to make.

And light and healthy.

Curious to read the recipe?

Just one more thing.

To garnish the soup I used carasau bread, a thin crispy flatbread typical of Sardinia. I like to drizzle some extra virgin olive oil on top, sometimes along with a pinch of flaky salt, and bake for few minutes until it turns golden brown. I find it delicious with soups as it adds some crunchiness but it is actually good also on its own as a simple snack (much much healthier than crisps, for example).

In case you are not able to find carasau bread you can replace with any cracker-like bread, such as matzo, or toast a very thin flat bread you have on hand, like tortilla for example, until it is golden and crispy and breaks apart easily.

Spicy creamy carrot soup with carasau bread

serves 4

800 g carrots

150 g potato

3 shallots

red chili

fresh mint

plain creamy yogurt

carasau bread

extra-virgin olive oil

Peel the potato and cut it into cubes.

Peel and slice the carrots.

Peel and finely chop shallots.

Add all the vegetables to a medium pan with a piece of chili and 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, sauté over medium heat for few minutes then cover with hot water (or light homemade vegetable stock). Add a pinch of salt and let simmer, covered with a lid, on a medium heat until carrots and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally and adding a bit of water if the mixture gets too dry.

Using a hand mixer, blend everything until you have a creamy mixture. Taste and adjust salt and chili (the soup should be lightly hot).

Preheat the oven at 180°C.

Place the carasau bread on a baking tray, add a splash of extra virgin olive oil, then bake for 3 - 4 minutes, until just golden.

Divide the hot soup into serving plates or bowl, add a spoon of yogurt, garnish with mint leaves and an extra splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve along with the toasted bread, sprinkled with mint leaves.