curried carrot soup with chive toppings in a white bowl

Mainely Dish: Curried Carrot Soup

October 3, 2022 Recipes, Spoonful

— By Alex Gayton, Assistant EFNEP Coordinator & Social Media Coordinator, Expanded Food Nutrition and Education Program (EFNEP), University of Maine Cooperative Extension

Now that the weather is getting cooler, soup is back on the menu! This vibrant Curried Carrot Soup recipe is a great addition to your fall recipe list. I was a bit hesitant to try this recipe because I wasn’t sure if I liked the taste of curry, but I enjoyed this soup a lot especially paired with a grilled cheese (try our Supreme Grilled Cheese Sandwiches recipe.) If you are like me and are unsure what curry is, keep reading.

Curry vs. Curry Powder

Curry

Curry is a food, dish, or sauce in Indian cuisine seasoned with a mixture of pungent spices. The foundation of many Indian curries is a mixture of onion, ginger, and garlic. That base is then flavored with several spices typically including cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, fennel seed, fenugreek, mustard seed, black and red (cayenne) pepper, and turmeric. Turmeric provides the characteristic yellow color of curry. Today, curries are often adapted using locally available ingredients and flavors that are eaten in various regions.

Curry Powder

Curry powder is a mix of dried spices (listed above) originating from the Indian subcontinent that was adapted by the British army while residing in India. Modern-style curry dishes evolved when British bureaucrats traveled around India with their cooks and shared Indian-inspired dishes. The British officially created spice blends known as curry powders to be able to recreate their favorite dishes consistently.
Visit EFNEP’s recipe website for the Curried Carrot Soup recipe and recipe video.

Taste

Curry powder has a unique flavor due to a combination of sweet and savory spices, it is sometimes described as earthy and mildly spicy. To me, curry powder is an acquired taste and smell, but the more recipes I try with it the more I start to appreciate the different flavors and endless recipes I can make.

Visit EFNEP’s recipe website for the Curried Carrot Soup recipe and recipe video.

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