Catering with Teatime Delicacies: Turning Leftovers into Kick Ass Soup!!
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| Spicy Carrot and Coconut Soup
Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dry Bones!
Thanksgiving is over, and the leftovers are probably a far gone memory. But I put together one hell of a soup over the weekend. First: The Carcass.
After you cannot bare to carve another piece of turkey off the bones, throw the entire carcass into large pot of boiling water. There’s not a great complicated recipe involved in making homemade stock, just poke around in your refrigerator. I added a chopped sweet onion, couple of raw carrots, some celery. And then add patience. Simmer until the aromas drive you insane. I left mine for four hours, then strained it through a mesh strainer. What I now have is 1/2 gallon killer turkey stock. And that’s when it gets interesting.
I don’t even like cooked carrots. I will tolerate raw ones. With Hummus. But cooked, meh, not so much. Teatime catered a wedding reception two days after Thanksgiving, and one of our menu items was glazed baby carrots. Now, you can make this recipe easy enough with raw carrots, cooked carrots, any kind of carrot you have lurking about. I’ve done it either way. And it rocks no matter the state of the carrot.
These are the cooked carrots. Lots of butter and as we all know, butter is better. Ruth is all about butter. And here is the recipe for Kick Ass Carrot and Coconut Soup.
4 TB Butter
1 1b Carrots peeled, chopped
1 Medium Onion
2 Cups Home Made or Out of The Can Stock
1 13.5 oz. Can Unsweetened Coconut Milk (not the stuff you use for Pina Coladas)
2 TB Thai-style chili sauce
Cilantro or Sour Cream for garnish
Those French Fried Onions in a Can
Melt the butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped carrots and onion and add salt/pepper. Cook stirring often until carrots are softened, about 15-20 minutes. Of course if the carrots are already cooked, sautee the onions until soft then add the cooked carrots. Stir in stock, coconut milk and chili sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and liquid is slightly reduced, about 40 minutes.
Let soup cool slightly, then puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Reheat in a clean saucepan, thinning with water to desired consistency.
Divide soup among bowls, drop a couple blops of sour cream in center and twirl with tip of a knife for professional squiggly design!
Do NOT let the idea of coconut throw you, it is very subtle. And this dish has some significant heat, so if you have a delicate constitution, start with a smaller amount and adjust accordingly.
AND!!! The most fun thing to garnish with, for a TRUE Thanksgiving leftover flourish, add a handful of those crazy French Fried Onions in a Can that people use for green bean casserole. It adds some wonderful texture to an otherwise creamy soup. This isn’t Kick Ass for nothing!
Enjoy!
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