Best Indonesian Carrot Soup Recipes

CREAMY ROASTED CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup, if desired.
• To prepare your carrots, peel them and then cut them on the diagonal so each piece is about ½″ thick at the widest part (see photos).
• Place the carrots on the baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Toss until the carrots are lightly coated in oil and seasonings. Arrange them in a single layer.
• Roast the carrots until they're caramelized on the edges and easily pierced through by a fork, 25 to 40 minutes, tossing halfway. (Heirloom carrot varieties will roast in as little as 25 minutes, but regular carrots are more dense and typically require 35 to 40 minutes.)
• Once the carrots are almost done roasting, in a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and turning translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic, coriander and cumin (if following a variation, see recipe notes for additions). Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, while scraping up any browned bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon or sturdy silicone spatula.
• Add the roasted carrots to the pot when they are out of the oven. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, to give the flavors time to meld.
• Once the soup is done cooking, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then, carefully transfer the hot soup to a blender, working in batches if necessary. (Do not fill past the maximum fill line or the soup could overflow!)
• Add the butter, lemon juice (or lime, if following the Thai variation), and several twists of black pepper. Blend until completely smooth. Add additional salt and pepper if necessary, to taste. Add another tablespoon of butter if you'd like more richness, or a little more lemon juice if it needs more zing. Blend again, and serve.
• This soup keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for about four days, or for several months in the freezer.

SOP BUNTOT (INDONESIAN OXTAIL SOUP)

Steps:

• Combine shallots, 2 onion quarters, ginger, and garlic in a food processor; pulse into a paste.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shallot paste and fry until fragrant and slightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add oxtails; stir until completely covered with spices and paste and browned, about 5 minutes.
• Stir remaining onion quarters, 2 carrots, and celery into the pot. Pour in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer until oxtail is tender, about 5 hours.
• Stir salt, black pepper, potatoes, and 3 carrots into the pot. Increase heat and simmer soup until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Add sugar and fish sauce; stir well to combine.
• Ladle soup into large serving bowls and top with tomato wedges and French-fried onions.

EASY CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Steam carrots until tender.
• In a blender or food processor, combine cooked carrots and 3/4 cup broth. Blend until smooth. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, parsley, basil, and red pepper flakes. Add half-and-half cream all at once. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Stir in carrot mixture and remaining broth. Season with salt and black pepper. Thin with milk or water if needed.

INDONESIAN CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat stockpot, add olive oil, garlic, ginger, onion, celery, and carrots.
• Saute for 10 minutes.
• Add curry, coriander, cumin, red pepper flakes, sherry and stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and let simmer for 35 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add honey, coconut milk, cilantro, salt and pepper.
• Puree the soup in the pot using a hand blender (or in small batches in a real blender).
• Add more honey if you like it sweeter.

HEARTY BEEF, POTATO, AND CARROT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large soup pot with 1/3 cup of the left-over beef stock, saute' the chopped celery and onion until tender.
• Add the Quinoa, baby portabellas, sliced carrots and quartered potatoes; stir to mix well. Let this cook a couple of minutes to enhance the flavors.
• Stir after one minute.
• Add the cubed roasted chuck roast. Stir all together.
• Add balance of left-over beef stock, all the water, the ketcup, apple cider vinegar, Steak Sauce, and Dijon Mustard. Stir well.
• Add the package of Sazon Goya with Cilantro n' Tomato. Stir to incorporate into soup mixture.
• Bring to a boil.
• Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

SAYUR LODEH (VEGETABLE SOUP WITH PRESSED RICE CAKES)

Steps:

• Rinse the rice 2 to 3 times until the water runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker if you have one (measure rice using a standard measuring cup, not a rice-cooker cup), or on the stovetop, with 2 cups of water.
• To prepare the banana leaves, gently unfold them and run one leaf under hot running water to soften. Trim off the tough outer edge with scissors. Cut a length of banana leaf-it has to be big enough to line a loaf pan and have enough overhang, about 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm), to fold over and cover the top.
• Line a loaf pan with the banana leaf, shiny-side down (the side with the ridges). If it tears, just patch it with another.
• While the rice is still hot, pack it into the pan, pressing down to compress. Fold the two ends of the leaf over so they overlap in the middle. Tuck in the edges. If the leaf isn't long enough, cover the gap with another leaf.
• Leave to cool for at least 2 hours. (You can also refrigerate it to speed up the process.) If you leave it in the pan overnight, the rice will be imbued with the delicate, tea-like flavor and fragrance of the banana leaves.
• Unmold carefully and peel off the banana leaves. Slice crosswise like a bread loaf and then cut into smaller rectangles or squares.
• Make the spice paste by combining the chiles, garlic, shallots, ginger, and ground coriander in a mini food processor. Blitz to form a rough paste the texture of oatmeal.
• Swirl the oil into a medium Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot and set over medium heat. When shimmering hot, add the spice paste and fry until it becomes aromatic and turns a few shades darker, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk and water. Add the chayote, turnips, carrots, green beans and tofu, and bring to a boil, adding more water to cover the vegetables if necessary. Drop in the galangal, if using, and lemongrass. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Simmer until the chayote and turnips are almost cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir in the kale, salt, pepper and sugar. Continue to simmer until the kale is just tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If possible, let the soup sit for 1 to 2 hours so the flavors can meld.
• To serve, distribute Pressed Rice Cakes among 4 to 6 large shallow bowls. Pour ½ to ¾ cup (125 to 200 ml) sayur lodeh and vegetables into each bowl. Sprinkle with fried shallots and serve.