My aunt Lulu made carrot soup over the holidays, and a bunch of people asked for the recipe…
Carrot soup has always been a staple at Lulu’s house, since my grandmother Milly loved it so much. In Lulu’s beauty uniform, which we did in 2019 when my grandmother was still alive, she said, “Milly is very peaceful and cute and easy. She loves absolutely anything you do for her. One funny thing is that she always makes the same carrot soup every day. Every time, I’m like, Oh, yay, thank goodness we got to the bottom of the bowl…and there she is, whipping up another one! I’m crazy about her.”
Funnily enough, Lulu now makes the soup all the time, too! Here’s a photo I snapped of her kitchen table a couple years ago when we were visiting.
Above is the cute recipe Lulu sent me. My dad and all his siblings have the same handwriting.
Since I know Cup of Jo readers love specifics, I asked our beloved Jenny Rosenstrach if she could make the carrot soup and write it out with more detail, using ingredients easily found in the U.S. “Lulu’s carrot soup was delicious and could not have been easier,” she told me afterward. “It’s very satisfying to think that if you have a typically stocked pantry, you can just pick up a bag of carrots and have a delicious wholesome dinner on the table less than an hour later.”
Lulu and Milly’s Souped-Up Carrot Soup 🙂
Recipe edited for clarity
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices or chunks
2 teaspoons Knorr Roasted Chicken Base, whisked with 16 ounces (2 cups) water
1 teaspoon hot sauce for a hint of heat
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
Add olive oil to a medium soup pot set over medium heat. Add onions, salt and pepper, and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. (If you keep going with the onions, maybe another 5 minutes on medium-low heat, you would get even more depth and caramelization.) Add carrots, stock mixture, hot sauce, and coconut milk, and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots are soft and squishy, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then pour the mixture into a blender. Keeping the lid’s plug/cap slightly ajar to let steam escape, process the soup until silky and smooth. (You can also puree using an immersion blender directly in the pot, but the soup’s consistency will not be as velvety.) Serve warm, ideally with a green salad, English cheeses, and lots and lots of toast.
Enjoy! xoxo
P.S. Lulu’s house tour in Cornwall, England, the life motto I learned at my grandmother’s funeral, and Lulu’s beauty uniform. Plus, another amazing soup we make all the time.
