A couple of years ago on this blog, I shared my recipe for Creamy Dilled Carrots, which are quite easy to make, yet taste like a million bucks.

As always, I made them this past Thanksgiving, and froze the leftovers.

Yesterday I pulled out the foodsaver bag with those orange beauties and let them thaw overnight.

Then the rain came. Actually, it’s been pouring so hard, I think I saw one of my neighbors building an ark… 😉

Anyhow, instead of just reheating… I decided to do my side dish remake, and I made the carrots into soup. AHHH! It was delicious.

I love days like these, and soup always makes them even better.

So, since I enjoyed them again, I thought you may as well.

May I once again present to you:
1. One of the best carrot side dishes I know of
2. My “next time / 15-minute” soup recipe

I hope you LOVE it!
Cheers!

 

 ◊ Creamy Dilled Carrots ◊

8 cups thinly sliced carrots
1½ cups drinking water
½ stick butter (4 Tbsp)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 cup cream
4 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (1/4 c.)

In a large pot, combine carrots, water, butter, salt, sugar, and pepper. Cover and simmer until carrots are crisp-tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Drain liquid into a small saucepan; bring liquid to a boil. Meanwhile, mix arrowroot powder and cream in a small bowl. Whisk a couple spoonfuls of the hot liquid into the cream mixture. Whisk all cream mixture and dill into remaining hot liquid. Continue whisking till fully incorporated. Pour over carrots and stir till mixed well.

 

 

After you’ve made the carrots, you can either make the soup the next day… or you can freeze it like I did, and make it the next time it rains 🙂

Carrot Soup

3/4 of the above mixture
2-3 cups chicken broth or turkey stock from Thanksgiving.
½ teaspoon white pepper (optional)
fresh dill
macadamia nuts (optional)

Heat all together in pot. Once hot, use an immersion (stick) blender to mix until desired consistency. (I like it a little less than liquefied). The longer you blend the soup, and the more broth you add, the thinner it will be.
Top with fresh dill and chopped macadamia nuts.

 Want another reason to eat carrots? Here are a few facts I found on WebMD for your perusal…

Medicinal Uses of Carrots: Carrots were first grown as medicine, not food, for a variety of ailments.Nutritional Value of Carrots: This veggie is an excellent source of vitamin A, providing more than 200% of your daily requirement in just one carrot. Carrots also are loaded with beta-carotene, a compound that is naturally converted to vitamin A when consumed. The deeper orange the carrot, the more beta-carotene you’re getting.