Purple Carrot Soup with Zesty Mayonnaise Topping

In my Able & Cole veg box I received some purple carrots. It's starting to get pretty cold now so I felt some nice warming soup would be appropriate.

I have never used purple carrots before but apparently they can be used in exactly the same way as normal carrots, i.e. grated in salad, simply steamed as an accompaniment to meat or added to stews and soups.

Purple carrots contain vitamins and most notably, anthocyanins, a nutrient that is found in the purple pigments. Anthocyanins are proported to have antimicrobial, antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties. They are said to help reduce the risk or heart disease and also colon cancer. Anthocyanins are used in varicose vein preparations. 

My carrots, once peeled and chopped, we're actually quite orange in the middle, so my resulting soup didn't have a full blown, attractive purple colour, instead it had a muddy hue. Despite this, the soup was delicious. I didn't have any creme fresh or soured cream, which is what I usually add a spoonful of to soups when serving to make them more fulfilling and tasty, instead I tried something new - I made a topping with mayonnaise, lemon juice, cider vinegar and chives which turned out very well and was loved by the kids.

My Purple Carrot Soup Recipe is below...

Purple Carrot Soup with Zesty Mayonnaise Topping
Serves 4

Ingredients
5/6 Purple carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
Small knob of butter
1 x large onion, finely chopped
1 x clove of garlic, crushed
1 or 2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
1ltr veg stock
1tsp of dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper

For the topping
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried or fresh chives

Method

• Melt the oil and butter in a large pan.
• Fry the onion and celery until it starts to soften.
• Add the garlic and carrots, put the lid on the pan and sweat for 5 minutes.
• Pour in the vegetable stock.
• Mix in the oregano.
• Grind in some pepper to taste.
• Replace the lid and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes until the veg is softened.
• while the soup is cooking, prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients together thoroughly.
• Once the soup is ready, use a hand held blender or a food processor to purée to a smooth consistency.
• Ladle into bowls and top with a generous dollop of zesty mayonnaise. 
• Serve with fresh bread and enjoy!

I'd really like to hear from you if you have any other good ideas on how to use purple carrots and if you do try my recipe below I'd be delighted to know how you got on!

More soup recipes from my blog:
Quick Lentil Soup
Butternut & Nut Butter Soup
Pedon Minestrone Soup 
Asparagus Soup