By Doreen Colondres
Not until you prepare this recipe, you will be convinced of how good it is. The secret is to use organic carrots or carrots in season to get them sweet and full of flavor. It will be a delight for kids and grownups, and the coriander seeds will add a great aroma and flavor to it. Coriander is the cilantro plant seed, they are similar to “cilantro”, but a lot more intense, with a citric and sage aroma that transforms any recipe.
You surely know the aroma, flavor and beauty of fresh “cilantro”. However, its seeds are not so appreciated among Latinos; they are better known in India, China, Thailand, and Tex-Mex and Spanish cuisines. They can be found whole, grounded in the dry species section at the market; they are cheap and easy to find. I buy them whole and mash them in the mortar. To release more of their aroma warm them up in a pan and then mash them or to make it simply, buy the coriander powder.
What you need to have:
- 1 1/2 lb. of organic carrots, and in season preferably.
- 1 small white onion or ½ large onion chopped small.
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped small.
- 3-4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth, natural.
- ¼ tsp. of grounded coriander seeds.
- 1 tbsp. of olive oil.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Fresh cilantro or fresh cheese to garnish.
What you need to do:
- Peel and chop the carrots in pieces of 1-inch approx. to cook them faster.
- In a medium bowl, add the olive oil, the garlic, the onion and sauté at medium high temperature until the onion becomes translucent, without letting it burn.
- Then, add the carrots, three cups of broth and let it boil for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- Using an inversion blender (hand blender) in the same pot or transferring everything in a blender, mix well until it gets the consistency of a thick soup. If you like, add an extra cup of the broth.
- Put everything back in the bowl, add the coriander, salt, pepper and stir well.
- Serve and garnish with the fresh cilantro, pumpkin seeds, almonds or fresh cheese.
