- 500g carrots
- 2 shallots
- ½-1 bergamot lemon
- A thumb of ginger
- 1 chilli
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 lime
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 700ml boiling water
- 1.
Scrub the carrots (no need to peel, although you can if you prefer). Cut into 2-3cm cubes. Peel and finely slice the shallots. Finely grate the zest from the bergamot. Peel and grate or chop the ginger. Halve the chilli. Scoop out the seeds and pith. Finely chop it. Peel and grate or crush the garlic.
- 2.
Warm a large pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp oil, the carrots, shallots, bergamot zest, ginger, garlic and most of the chilli. Season. Fry for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till the veg start to colour.
- 3.
Crumble in the vegetable stock cube. Pour in 700ml boiling water. Simmer for 10 mins till the carrots are tender. Ladle into a blender and blitz till smooth, or use a hand-held blender in the pan. Grate a little zest from the lime and set aside, then squeeze in the lime and half of the bergamot juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lime or bergamot juice if preferred.
- 4.
Ladle the soup into warm bowls and serve garnished with the remaining chopped chilli and a little lime zest.
- Tip
Bergawho?
Bergamot lemons are a real seasonal treat. Grown in Calabria in Southern Italy, they have a distinctive floral flavour you'll recognise from aromatic cups of Earl Grey tea. You may only use half the bergamot in this soup. The remaining half will keep in your fridge for a couple of days. Try serving slices of the bergamot in cups of Earl Grey tea or in a gin and tonic.