Amy Scattergood's Carrot and Pomegranate Soup

After self-medicating with chocolate-toffee cookies (truly a splendid way to pass the weekend), life does seem rosier. The apex of my work hysteria has been scaled, the family crisis in Italy has been defused, and Ben is no longer a hospital-bound invalid. I've also decided to be less of a glutton, so I brought in the remaining cookies to work today, where I've been watching wretchedly as the pile grows smaller and smaller with each passing hour.

Generosity can be such a chore.

In an attempt to defuse the havoc that chocolate-toffee cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner could be wreaking on my waistline and in order to feed a convalescent Ben something other than chicken broth or dry toast, I decided to make a carrot soup enlivened with pomegranate molasses that Amy Scattergood wrote about last week in her article on cooking for Rosh Hashanah.

It was my first time cooking with pomegranate molasses (found, quite cheaply, at Zabar's yesterday), though I feel like I'm about three years late to the party. Better late than never! What a find. In cooking, pomegranate molasses has the brightening effect that both lemon juice and vinegar have, but with a barely-there shimmer of exotic flavor and sweetness. I can't wait to use more of it.

The soup is quite simple - you cook onions and carrots and pomegranate molasses and cumin (though I substituted 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander, and could have used even a 1/4 teaspoon more) together until they begin to soften, then you simmer all of it in chicken stock until it's pureeable. I didn't bother straining the soup after I processed it; I just thinned it with the extra stock.

No kosher salt was needed - the chicken broth I use is salty enough - and I left off the molasses drizzle at the end, too. The soup was smooth and delicious, savory and sweet, and with a faintly acidic backnote that really made the carrot flavor pop. The pomegranate seeds on top were pretty to look at, and for a special occasion it might be fun to use them for garnish, but for every day use, I find them a bit too fussy.

It was the kind of Sunday meal, with a heel of crusty bread and a wedge of hard cheese, that I absolutely love: simple but interesting, satisfying and healthy. And as much as I enjoyed my bowl of soup for dinner, it was even better to see Ben eat it with gusto. I'm so glad he's better.

Carrot and Pomegranate Soup
Serves 4 to 6

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
4 cups coarsely chopped carrots
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, plus extra for garnish
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups chicken stock
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds

1. Heat the olive oil over moderate heat in a large heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the onion, carrots, pomegranate molasses and cumin. Cover the pot and lower the heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add 3 cups of stock and simmer, covered, until the carrots are very tender, about an hour. Take off the heat and let cool.

3. Purée, in batches if necessary, in a blender, adding the final cup of stock. The purée should be very smooth; if it isn't, you may want to pour the soup through a strainer.

4. Return to the burner and heat through until hot. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Ladle the soup into soup plates, spooning extra pomegranate molasses around the center (about one-half teaspoon per bowl) and sprinkling with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Comments

[ilva]

This sounds really intriguing and different!

[Julie]

I'm even later to the pomengranate party but that description makes me want to join.

The soup is gorgeous. In fact, it looks like something that belongs on a holiday table.

[Grant]

What a great combination of flavors. I can't wait to make it. Carrots are so typically combined with ginger. I love those little twists like using the pomegranate. I'm really into pureed soups right now.

[Lindy]

ah...just what I need-a good looking carrot recipe. I'm struggling with an overload of excellent CSA carrots, and I even have a jar of pomegranite molasses, waiting to be opened.This weeked for me.

[Jennifer]

Wow! This is beautiful!

I've never had the guts to try a carrot soup, but I love pomegranate molasses so this is going on my weekend list.

[Molly]

What a gorgeous fall supper! So glad that this week is looking up, my friend - between those cookies and this soup, things couldn't have stayed bad for long, eh? xo

[ann]

what an amazing use of the stuff (pomegranate molasses that is)!
i've always gone the kinda traditional route of using it to glaze things, like chicken and fish
this is wonderful, thanks Luisa!
it really was a soup kinda weekend wasn't it?

[Luisa]

Ilva - it does, doesn't it? And yet it tasted so homey and familiar, too.

Julie - Absolutely: from the Jewish New York to Thanksgiving to Christmas, it fits everywhere.

Grant - I've gotten sort of sick of that whole carrot-ginger thing and this was a welcome change. I agree with you on pureed soups - they're great. Have you ever tried Potage Parmentier? The ne plus ultra of pureed soups.

Lindy - it's good weekend food, for sure.

Jennifer - try the carrot soup, you'll see, you need no guts, it's easy! :)

Molly - damned straight!(though I'm sort of mourning my cookies now - all gone!)

Ann - now I'm completely obsessed with the stuff. I've got to hold myself back!

[Tiny Banquet Committee]

The soup looks and sounds delicious!
Your chicken broth is the same one I've been using - I like it - I particularly like being able to prepare however much I need, and to make it weak or strong.

[Lia]

I agree that pomegranates can be quite fussy, but there's no denying that it makes your already pretty soup even prettier. Now that the colder weather is coming to NY, I could see myself craving a big bowl of this very soon.

[Emily]

This is the first recipe I tried making after seeing it on your site (seemed like the perfect solution to an overzealous purchase of green market carrots). Indeed it was delicious . . . I agree no need to strain--it the consistency was so great with just some extra broth . . . I am so excited to keep trying pureed soups . . . perfect way to make use of all those extra veggies I always end up with when I go to the greenmarket.

[Chris]

Easy to make and I enjoy this site. I recommend the novel "Pomegranate Soup" by Marsha Mehran" for some more enteresting Persian dishs

[cottagelover]

amazingly good