Serves: 6-8
Difficulty: A little effort, 90 minutes
Ingredients:
10 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 onions, chopped
A glug of olive oil
1-2cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
15ml ( 1 tbsp) tomato paste
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1-litre (4 cups) vegetable stock or strong steeped rooibos tea
Salt and pepper to season
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Orange clouds:
6 large carrots, peeled (800g cooked)
15ml (1 tbsp) butter
2 eggs, separated
15ml (1 tbsp) sugar
30ml (2 tbsp) flour
1.25ml (¼ tsp) baking powder
Freshly grated nutmeg
Garnish:
Cherry tomatoes
Roasted rainbow carrots
Method:
1) In a large saucepan, sweat the carrots and onions in olive oil. Cook until the onions have caramelised and the carrots turned bright orange.
2) Add ginger and stir for a minute. Add tomato paste, potato and vegetable stock or tea.
3) Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Add the zest and orange juice, stir until heated through.If using tea, adjust seasoning.
4) For the orange clouds preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a silicone mini-cupcake tray.
5) Cut the carrots into rings and boil until tender. Pour off the water and pulp with a stick blender. Drain excess liquid with a sieve.
6) Whisk the butter into the carrot pulp. Add the egg yolks to the carrots and whisk the whites until soft peaks form.
7) Gradually add the sugar and set aside.
8) Sift the flour and baking powder into the carrots, then fold in the egg whites. Scoop a spoonful of the mixture into each hole of the mini-cupcake tray.
9) Bake for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
10) Repeat until all the batter has been used. Alternatively, fry spoonfuls of batter in shallow oil, about 2 minutes a side.
11) Serve soup with orange clouds on top, garnished with tomatoes and roasted carrots.
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