Making Do: Carrot-Ginger Soup

Cues for a bright and zesty bowl

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Hi and welcome to the very first issue of “Making Do,” a new thing I’m trying for foodstuff! I will still be releasing essays on the first of each month but going forward I will also be releasing cooking cues, like this one, mid-month.

As I outlined in this post, “Making Do” is less interested in offering recipes, in the traditional sense, and more interested in the repetitions, recurrences, and refractions that inform food-making. I hope the cues I offer are easy to follow, but I also hope you interact with, modify, adapt and shape these foods to best suit your tastes, skills, resources and body. I’m vegan so these cues will be vegan but if you like cheese, add cheese where you see fit. You are welcomed and encouraged to share your versions of the dish in the comments!

On that note, I also want to emphasize that I am curious about recipe writing as a practice, which is one of the reasons I’m starting “Making Do.” I’m not going to be making the flashiest and fanciest foods (not that I have the skill for that anyway) and am more excited about finding the most engaging and accessible ways to communicate cooking cues that account many brains, bodies and budgets. Your feedback in the form of comments or emails (melissa.a.montanari@gmail.com), is always welcomed!

In my last post, and on Instagram, I asked what you like and dislike about the recipes you’ve used or encountered in the past. Here are my key take-aways from that:

• Long preambles are annoying, especially when they centre the experiences of those who have every resource at their disposal.

• Not everyone has the space or time or ability to make elaborate meals. Recipes must take this into account.

• Overly optimistic cook and prep times are also annoying.

• Inaccessible ingredient lists are a big “no thank you!”

• Be honest about flavour— don’t overhype it, that’s annoying.

• Assuming that everyone is coming to a recipe with a general understanding of cooking can be unhelpful and alienating.

• Recipes are not a place for nutrition advice.

Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts with me! I’m going to do my best to address your concerns and avoid your annoyances. Keep telling me what you love and hate!

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A couple things to hold with you:

• Cooking can be exhausting and painful. Chopping and standing, two pretty big components of cooking, have access caveats. Cooking with pain sucks. Cooking with a migraine is awful. “Nourishing” can refer to many things, from an elaborate meal, to instant soup and a nap. 

• This recipe is a reflection of my location and features ingredients I have easy access to as someone who lives in a city in Southern Ontario. Access to these ingredients may very depending on where you are located. Play with the ingredients you have available to you. You may end up with something even yummier!

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Carrot-Ginger Soup

Zesty, fresh, and bright

Makes 1 large pot | 45 minutes- 2 hours (depends on how long you want to let the flavours develop)

Printable Copy

*Read at least once over before you begin*

You’ll need:

• Medium or large pot

• Vegetable stock: approx. 1.5-2 liters

• Carrots: 3 medium

• White potatoes: 2 medium

• Fennel: 1 medium bulb

• Celery: 2 medium stocks

• Shallot: 1 medium

• Onion: 2 medium

• Fresh peeled ginger: 2 inch x 1 inch knot

• Fresh garlic: 1 bulb

• Olive oil: to taste

• Salt: to taste

• Pepper: to taste

• Red pepper flakes: to taste

Soup Components- The Three Bs

• Broth

  • Homemade or store-bought will work for this recipe. I don’t love stocks that come in those 1L boxes. They are never flavourful enough! I keep a veggie bouillon, like Better Than Bouillon, in my fridge. I prefer the flavour and it lasts longer BUT if you’re not able to have too much salt this may not be the option for you.

  • If you are going with homemade, I recommend making your broth in advance

• Base 

  • Olive oil

  • Produce, chopped: carrot (1), fennel, celery, shallot, onion, fresh ginger, garlic

  • Seasoning: Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

• Bulk

  • Rough cut carrots (remainder) and white potatoes

  • Salt, pepper

Method:

1. Make or thaw your homemade broth. If you are using store-bought, or if your broth is already prepared, set it aside for later.

2. Heat your pot (medium heat). Do not add the oil yet.

3. While the pot warms, prepare your base and bulk produce. Separate them into two bowls. Set aside.

4. Add oil to your pot once it is hot. 

5. After letting the oil heat for a minute (keep an eye on that oil, though), add your base produce and seasoning.

6. Cook on low/med heat stirring regularly until the onions are translucent– Whatever you do, just don’t let the garlic burn!

7. Add bulk ingredients to the pot with enough veggie broth to submerge. Save the remaining veggie broth to add later.

8. Simmer the soup with the lid on until the potatoes and carrots are soft, tasting and salting along the way if need be. 

9. Add remaining veggie broth and blend the contents of the pot to your desired consistency. 

10. Taste- At this point, the ginger should be more powerful. If you’d like it more gingery, add powdered ginger. Does the soup need more salt? Pepper? Something else? Add it now!

11. Turn the heat to low. The soup can sit and develop flavour for longer if you’d like, but if you’re hungry, scoop some out and enjoy! 

Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. 

Pairs well with:

• Toasted pumpkin seeds (topper)

• A sandwich

• Dumplings

 *Share widely, adapt accordingly*