You can turn a simple soup into something special with the right garnish by lightly topping it
with this Gremolata. And here at Maidstone we try to use the whole vegetable we carefully
grow to harvest.
CARROT TOP GREMOLATA
Ingredients
¼ cup almonds, unroasted no salt added, chopper
1 cup leafy carrot top leaves, packed
1 medium lemon, zested
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
In a small food processor, add the chopped almonds, carrot top leaves , lemon zest and salt.
Pulse until coarsely chopped, then stream the olive oil slowly while processing to combine well. Set aside or refrigerate for …or freeze in Ice cube trays up to a month.
CARROT GINGER SOUP
Ingredients
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1 medium leek; sliced in halved and soaked to remove sand, drained
2 celery stalks, ½ inch chopped
1 ½ pounds carrots, peeled and spiced into 1" rounds
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme or dried bay leaf
3 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1 large russet potato, ½ inch cubed
Pinch salt
1 quart vegetable broth
2 cups water
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation
In a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, warm the oil over medium high heat. Add the leek
and celery and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots and potatoes then toss to coat well. Stir in the aromatic thyme and ginger, then toss the vegetables with a large pinch of salt and stir to combine well . Continue to cook a few minutes longer until all the flavors meld and the vegetables looked slightly glazed. Add the broth and water just to cover the vegetables, raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently, partially covered, for about 20-25 minutes until vegetables are softened. Remove from the heat and let stand for at least 10 minutes, uncovered.Place the soup in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to clean pot and warm though, tasting for seasoning adding pepper to taste. Top with the carrot top Gremolata and serve.
Tip: Hold the top of a blender firmly with a folded towel to prevent an explosion of hot soup
