Well now, you want to know ’bout that French carrot soup, huh? Ain’t no fancy name or nothin’, but it sure do warm ya up real good! They call it Potage Crècy, named after a place in France where they grow the sweetest carrots you ever did taste. Some folks say it’s a real old recipe, goin’ back to the time when carrots first started growin’ good in them parts. And lemme tell ya, it’s one of them soups that’ll stick to your bones, not too runny, just nice and thick!
Now, the key thing about this soup is them carrots. I mean, you could try it with regular carrots from your garden, but if you ever get your hands on some of them Crècy carrots, you’ll know right away what the fuss is all about! They got this natural sweetness to ’em, and when you cook ’em up, they turn soft and just melt in your mouth.
To make this here soup, first thing ya gotta do is peel yourself a good handful of them carrots. If you ain’t got no Crècy carrots, don’t worry, regular ones will do. Just make sure they’re fresh! You chop ’em up into small pieces, just so they cook quicker, y’know. Then, you get yourself a pot—big enough to fit all that goodness in. Throw them chopped carrots right in there, along with an onion, chopped up too. You can even add a little garlic if ya like, give it some extra flavor, not too much though, just a bit.
Now, you need to add some stock to make it nice and flavorful. You can use chicken stock if you got it, or vegetable stock if you wanna keep it all veggie. Pour that in ’til it covers the carrots and onions. Don’t forget to add some water if you need to, just enough to make sure everything’s floatin’. After that, you get yourself some thyme—fresh if you got it, dry works just fine too—and toss that in for a little extra taste.
Now, ya let that cook for a good while, ’til the carrots get nice and soft. Once they’re cooked through, it’s time to mash it all up. You could use one of them fancy blenders if you got one, but if not, you just take a potato masher and work your way through it. Ain’t got to be perfect, just mash ‘em up real good so you got yourself a nice thick soup.
But here’s the trick, see? To make this soup real creamy and smooth, you gotta add a little something to thicken it up. Some folks use rice for this part. That’s right, plain ol’ rice! You cook a little rice separately, then add it into the soup once it’s all mashed up. It helps make the soup real thick and hearty, just like a good country soup should be.
Once you’ve got your rice in there, you let it cook for a bit more, let everything come together real nice. Then, the last step, you add some cream. Not too much, just enough to make it smooth and rich. Some folks even add a spoonful of crème fraîche if they want to be extra fancy, but really, any cream will do. Stir it in, and let it warm up good.
When it’s ready, you got yourself a bowl of real French goodness, right there! You can serve it with some crusty bread on the side, maybe a little butter, and you’re good to go. It’s the kind of soup that’ll fill ya up and keep ya warm all day long. And you can make it as thick or thin as you like—depends on how much rice you use!
So there ya have it, Potage Crècy—fancy name, but it’s really just a simple, hearty carrot soup that’s been passed down for generations. You don’t need no fancy ingredients, just a few good carrots, some rice, and a little cream. And don’t forget, it’s all about the love you put into it. Give it a try, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s real good, y’hear?
Tags: [French Carrot Soup, Potage Crecy, French Soup, Crècy Carrot Soup, Vegetarian Soup, Creamy Carrot Soup, Hearty Soup Recipe, Easy French Soup]