Potage Crécy French Carrot Soup Recipes

PUREED CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cover partially and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant. Add the rice, water or stock, salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons), and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the soup is fragrant.
• Blend the soup either with a hand blender, in batches in a blender (cover the top with a towel and hold it down to avoid hot splashes), or through a food mill fitted with the fine blade. The rice should no longer be recognizable (it thickens the soup). Return to the pot. Stir and taste. Adjust salt, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and heat through. If the sweetness of the carrots needs a boost, add another pinch of sugar.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with croutons and a sprinkle of herbs.

POTAGE CRéCY

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrots, potato, salt, pepper, and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the carrots begin to break down. Add the stock, raise the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Using a food mill, an immersion blender, or an upright blender, puree the mixture until smooth, working in batches if necessary. (In this as in every instance, take care when pureeing hot liquid; it's best, if you have the time, to let the mixture cool to room temperature before pureeing; or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days before pureeing.)
• To serve hot, reheat the soup in the saucepan. To serve it cold, refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Stir in the crème fraîche or sour cream if you're using it, then garnish with chervil and serve.

POTAGE CRéCY (FRENCH CARROT SOUP)

Steps:

• Over medium heat, melt butter in a heavy dutch oven. Stir in the onions and cook 5 minutes, until golden.
• Add carrots, broth, tomato paste and rice. Simmer 30 minutes.
• Puree in blender in small batches until smooth. Return to pan.
• Add salt and pepper and stir in the cream. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Stir in the softened butter and serve with two carrot curls per serving.

CREAM OF CARROT SOUP (POTAGE LORRAINE)

Steps:

• Scrape the carrots, peel the onion and cut these vegetables and the celery into chunks.
• Melt the butter in a good-sized stockpot and add the vegetables. Stir and heat in the butter until they are well coated. Add the beans and stir well.
• Bring the stock to boil in a separate pan and add to the vegetables and beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for one hour or more.
• Remove from heat, let cool slightly and pass the soup through a vegetable mill, or process, little by little, in a food processor until it is a desired consistency.
• Return to the rinsed-out stockpot and bring to a slow boil. Add cream slowly.
• Serve immediately, with a pat of butter in each soup plate.