Jono & Jules do food & wine

It seems to be getting more and more difficult to buy a carrot, with supermarkets in particular insisting that you buy a huge bag. Why can’t we be like France and just have troughs of veg for us to pick what we need from? This is a suitable end for almost a whole bag of carrots.

Carrot & Cumin Soup – serves 6

• 35g butter
• 600g carrots, chopped
• 110g onion, chopped
• 150g potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
• 2 tsp freshly roasted and crushed cumin seeds
• pinch of sugar
• 1.2 litres light chicken or vegetable stock
• a little creamy milk (optional)
• crème fraîche or yoghurt (to garnish)
• coriander leaves, chopped

Melt the butter until foaming, then add the chopped vegetables. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and add the crushed cumin. Cover with a butter paper and a tight fitting lid. Leave to sweat over a low heat for about 10 minutes.

Remove the lid, add the stock and boil until the vegetables or soft – about 5 to 8 minutes, then purée the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve in warm bowls with a swirl of crème fraîche or yoghurt if you like and some freshly chopped coriander.

(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Ltd., 2001.)