Carrot Soup with Garlic Chips

As yummy tasting as it looks, this recipe is free of both gluten and dairy. Here’s the secret for transforming this great everyday carrot classic into a dairy free dish: blend a small amount of white rice with the soup. This provides the thickness and creaminess we’re after in a cream-based soup (a clever trick to employ with any soup that needs thickening). The garlic chips add an element of crunch plus flavor.

Serves 4 to 6

Soup

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons white rice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
1 pound carrots, sliced
6 cups soup stock, or water
1½ teaspoons unrefined salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, or to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)

Garlic Chips

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the rice and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, and cayenne and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the carrots, stock, and salt. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the garlic chips: Heat the oil with the garlic slices in a single layer in a small skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden and slightly crisp. Remove the garlic from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain it on a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the oil for finishing the soup.

Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, adjust the seasonings, and stir in the lime juice.

Spoon into bowls and serve, sprinkled with parsley, if using, and topped with the Garlic Chips and a swirl of the garlic-flavored oil.