Carrot Top Soup

At last we learn what to do with the carrot tops. Here is a recipe in which you can use these tops. This is a delightful coincidence. My friend, Mary Holmes, board president of Innovative Farmers of Ohio, told me and some friends about the wonderful soup she had made and then surprised us all by telling us that she used carrot top. We were puzzled until she told us to check Deborah Madison’s book, Local Flavors. Deborah who is a friend of mine is a great advocate of local foods-- here is her recipe with some modifications.

 1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots with tops
 2 tbsp butter
 3 tbsp uncooked white rice (brown rice can also be used)
 2 large leeks, white part only (can sub 1 medium onion)
 2 sprigs of thyme or a large pinch of dried thyme
 2 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley or celery leaves
 Salt and pepper
 6 cups of stock—vegetable or chicken

1

Pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot tops. Peel and finely chop the carrots.

2

Melt the butter in a heavy bottom soup pot. Add the carrots, the carrot leaves, the rice, the chopped leeks or onion and the thyme. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring often to avoid burning. Add the stock, and raise the heat to medium high. Cook until the carrots and the rice are completely cooked.

3

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with minced parsley or celery leaves.

4

If you want to create a more refined soup you can puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Serve with a tablespoon of cream drizzled on top and a garnish of minced parsley.

Ingredients

 1 bunch (6 small to medium) carrots with tops
 2 tbsp butter
 3 tbsp uncooked white rice (brown rice can also be used)
 2 large leeks, white part only (can sub 1 medium onion)
 2 sprigs of thyme or a large pinch of dried thyme
 2 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley or celery leaves
 Salt and pepper
 6 cups of stock—vegetable or chicken

Directions

1

Pluck the lacy leaves of the carrot tops. Peel and finely chop the carrots.

2

Melt the butter in a heavy bottom soup pot. Add the carrots, the carrot leaves, the rice, the chopped leeks or onion and the thyme. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes stirring often to avoid burning. Add the stock, and raise the heat to medium high. Cook until the carrots and the rice are completely cooked.

3

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls and garnish with minced parsley or celery leaves.

4

If you want to create a more refined soup you can puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Serve with a tablespoon of cream drizzled on top and a garnish of minced parsley.

Carrot Top Soup

5 Comments

  1. Mary on September 24, 2017 at 5:23 pm

    So easy, so delicious and so healthy! The perfect soup recipe and I love using the carrot tops!!

  2. Megan Elizabeth Gill on October 13, 2018 at 7:42 pm

    I modified it adding in some zucchini and white mushrooms. Did not need any salt, wonderfully flavorful as it was. This made me 6 servings though– way more than I knew what to do with, but hopefully it will last well as leftovers for a couple of days! 🙂

    • John Neill on November 8, 2018 at 6:06 pm

      Dear lady-don’t worry about whether it’ll keep & for how long .. pop what’s over in a suitably sized container,seal securely& FREEZE!
      Thawed benchtop or microwave, it’s still going to be wonderful! ..

  3. JoyD on May 11, 2019 at 10:34 am

    You can do the same with radish tops. Just be sure to buy organic.

  4. Sandra Watson on November 12, 2019 at 1:10 am

    I bought a huge bunch of carrots from a farm market and it was almost more top than carrot so I went searching for what to do with them as they were so gorgeous and fresh. Then I found your recipe for this really fabulous soup! I pureed it and it was gorgeous and so delicious. I’ll never throw out carrot tops again!

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