Carrot Soup with Caraway-Bread Crumb Topping

Golden, buttered bread crumbs sautéed with caraway seeds provides a crisp, flavorful topping for the smooth, slightly sweet carrot puree. To ensure that the soup come out at its best, choose slender, medium-sized carrots; avoid larger, woody carrots. Enrich the soup, if you like, with a splash of cream after pureeing. The soup, minus the topping, is also good chilled.

We made this soup the first rainy night of the season using a variety of Erickson Ranch carrots and it was absolutely delicious.

If you are a lover of soups as we are I guarantee you you'll love this one!!

FOR THE CARROT PUREE:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 lb variety of Erickson Ranch fresh picked carrots, thinly sliced
1 fresh tarragon sprig or 1 tsp dried tarragon
4 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 TBLSp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper

FOR THE TOPPING:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp caraway seeds
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 TBLSP finely chopped fresh parsley

For the carrot puree, melt the butter, add onions and sauté until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and tarragon, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes more. Add the stock and orange and lemon juices. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the carrots are very tender, 10-15 minutes.

Discard the tarragon sprig, if using. In small batches, puree the soup. Return the purée to the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the topping, melt the butter over low to medium heat in a frying pan. Add the caraway seeds and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the bread crumbs, raise the heat slightly and sauté, stirring, until golden brown, 2-3 minutes.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and scatter the bread crumbs generously on top. Garnish with parsley.

Server 6 to 8