Since we've been away for much of the last two weeks it was inevitable that some of the vegetables would languish in the fridge longer than they should. Sunday, I returned from a terrific weekend away with friends to find some very sad, limp baby carrots and wrinkly beets reproaching me from the vegetable drawer. Pity there isn't Botox for vegetables. I really didn't want to put the formerly darling baby carrots in the compost so I used them with the beets in a chilled soup. With some added spice for interest and a bit of honey to make up for some of the lost sweetness, it was quite good. Youth isn't everything you know.
Chilled Curried Carrot Beet Soup
3 small bunches baby carrots (or one small bunch carrots)
4 small beets
1" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tsp curry powder (you can use more of less of the curry and curry paste depending on your taste)
1 tsp curry paste (I use a Biryani paste)
1 T honey
water
1 T peanut butter (don't overdo the peanut butter)
salt, pepper to taste
Peel and slice the beets and either peel or scrub the carrots. Put in a small, heavy saucepan with the ginger, curry powder, curry paste and honey. Add water to cover and simmer, covered, until the carrots and beets are very tender. Add the peanut butter and blend with an immersion blender until smooth (or place in a blender and puree). At this point you will want to add more water, a bit at a time, and blend until it is the consistency you want. It should be about the thickness of a vichyssoise. Add salt and pepper to taste and chill. To chill quickly, pour soup into a bowl and place the bowl inside a much larger bowl filled with ice. Stir until thoroughly chilled. This will chill it down in just a few minutes.
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