Serves: Yields 6 to 7 cups, serving 4 as a main course and 6 to 8 as a starter
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil (I used some chili-infused olive oil I had on hand which gave the soup a nice kick!)
1 large onion, cut into large dice
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into approximate 1-inch pieces (4 to 5 cups)
1 tablespoon butter
1 large pinch sugar
3 large garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons garam masala (or curry powder)
3 cups chicken broth, cartoned, canned or homemade
1 to 1½ cups half and half, whole milk, or evaporated milk
Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep sauté pan until shimmering. Add carrots and then onions; saute, stirring very little at first and more frequently at the end, until vegetables start to turn golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add butter, sugar, and garlic; continue to cook until all vegetables are a rich spotty caramel color, about 10 minutes longer.
Add garam masala; continue to sauté until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute longer. Add broth; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and simmer, partially covered, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Transfer to a blender; puree until very smooth, 30 seconds to a minute. Return to sauté pan (or a soup pot if pan is too shallow for milk addition); add enough milk so that mixture is thin enough to be soup, yet thick enough to float optional garnish. Heat through, ladle into small bowls, serve with bread and a salad.
Recipe by Three Many Cooks at https://threemanycooks.com/conversations/pureed-carrot-soup-with-garam-masala/