Recipe: a Delicious Carrot Sweet Orange Golden Soup

In the West, the definition of soup is different from that in China. Western-style soups are often thick, unlike the Chinese seaweed and egg soup, or the slightly thicker Pingqiao tofu soup.

Western soups are thick, and a bowl of soup can often serve as a dinner. They are thick because they generally contain root vegetables, such as potatoes and pumpkins, to thicken the soup, and cream is also added to enhance the flavor, with mushroom cream soup being a common example.

Before serving, it's paired with slices of toasted baguette. The baguette is crispy and delicious, with a natural hazelnut aroma from the bread. Dipping it into the soup and enjoying it bite by bite makes for a very satisfying dinner, providing a balanced meal with staple foods, vegetables, and a suitable amount of fat. This type of soup can easily be made at home with a high-speed blender.

This golden, thick soup was a treat I received while visiting a friend in Switzerland, and its taste was particularly stunning. The ingredients are also simple: for two servings, you need 6 carrots, an orange, a potato, and a small piece of ginger.

Steam the carrots and potato first, then put them in the blender with the chopped orange and crushed ginger. You can add a bit of water, but not too much, as it might affect the thickness of the soup. The orange and ginger can be used raw. I remember being surprised when I saw my friend add the orange because, in my mind, fruits and vegetables—one cold, one hot, one eaten raw, and the other cooked—seldom go together. But tasting the final product, I realized the indispensable role of the orange.

The soup has a very warm color, a gentle yellow. I recommend tasting it with a large spoon, covering it in one mouthful, for an absolutely fantastic layering of flavors. The ginger brings a teasing spice that lingers on the tip of the tongue for just a second, as if instantly invigorating, followed by the rich taste of carrots and then the solid starchiness of potatoes. Surprisingly, the taste of the orange is almost imperceptible, yet without it, there would be an earthy taste from the roots.

To elevate the layered flavors even further, you could add a little sour cream or Greek yogurt on top of the soup. Use it sparingly, or it will just sink.

If you happen to be hungrier that evening, you could cut a small piece of baguette to go with it. In fact, if you don't have a baguette, regular bread or even toast will do. The key is to pan-fry the bread or toast it in the oven. This makes the bread's texture very crispy, and it will have a natural hazelnut aroma.

Then, lightly brush it with some butter, letting the butter naturally melt on the bread. You can dip the bread in the soup or simply break it into small pieces. This breaking process is very satisfying, with the crisp, crackling sound. The broken bread immediately absorbs the soup, making it thicker and increasing the feeling of fullness. At the same time, the aroma of the butter on the bread's surface infuses the soup, giving it a hint of creaminess at the end.

Making this soup is not difficult, but please take time to enjoy. In fact, I often realize that the time spent enjoying a dish is the greatest hospitality to cooking. This moment is actually where the true deliciousness of the dish lies.