Carrot Pomegranate and Cardamom Soup

Ingredients

40g unsalted butter
1 large onion peeled and coarsely chopped
900g carrots peeled and thickly sliced
6 green cardamom pods, smashed
900mL chicken stock
Sea salt and black pepper
150mL pomegranate juice (fresh is best so if you have a juicer or Nutribullet, go for this first before looking at processed juices - they usually have a lot of sugar)

To serve:

Crème fraîche
About 2 Tbs pomegranate seeds
Ground sumac for sprinkling

Method

Melt the butter in a large pan over a medium heat and fry the onion for a few minutes until softened, without colouring, stirring occasionally.

Add the carrots and cardamom pods and fry for a further minute or two, then stir in the stock and some seasoning. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are very tender.

Scoop out the cardamom pods (which with a bit of luck will have floated to the top) and purée the soup in batches in a blender, then return it to a clean pan. Stir in the pomegranate juice and taste to check the seasoning.

To serve, reheat the soup over a low heat and ladle into warm soup bowls. Swirl a dollop of crème fraîche through the centre of each bowl, scatter over some pomegranate seeds and dust with sumac. If wished, throw a sprinkling of pistachios on top to add a variation in colour.

Credits: Annie Bell in For You Magazine

Photo Credits: Tieghan Gerard