Carrot Bisque with a Smoky Twist

Ingredients

• 5 pounds carrots, peeled and trimmed
• mesquite or hickory wood chips, as needed for smoker
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 5 quarts vegetable stock
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 cups cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Step 1

Peel the carrots and placing them whole on a smoker rack. Let them smoke for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours to get that nice smoky flavor. Meanwhile, heat some vegetable oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Toss in the chopped onions, jalapeño, and garlic, and cook everything until the onions soften and become translucent, which should take around 5 minutes.

Step 2

Chop the smoked carrots and add them to the pot along with the celery. Let this cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the celery is tender. Sprinkle in the turmeric and curry powder, stirring to coat all the veggies evenly. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about an hour and a half. Don’t forget to stir it now and then.

Step 3

Once the time’s up, strain out the veggies and blend them until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot and let it simmer for another 30 minutes to let all the flavors meld together. Finally, whisk in some butter until it melts, stir in the cream, and season with salt and pepper to your taste. For a silky finish, strain the soup through a fine mesh sieve before serving.