Soup season is here – just as we need some warmth.

Carrot has always been seen as a humble vegetable but this recipe of mine will show you how to prepare carrots, a simple root vegetable, into a fantastic soup with an oriental touch. I have been busy foraging some chanterelle so I am going to put them to use in order to elevate the dish.

Not So Humble Carrot Soup (serves 4)

What you need:

• 6-8 large carrots, cut into cubes
• 2 medium size potatoes, cut into cubes
• 3 large celery sticks, finely chopped
• 1 large brown onion, finely sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon of dried thyme or rosemary
• 1 Thai chilli (use more or none, depending on your preference)
• 1 can of coconut milk
• 2 litres of water
• 1 cube of veg or chicken stock
• 3 tbsp of olive oil or veg oil
• 1-2 tbsp of fish sauce
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper (preferably white)
• Chanterelle mushroom for garnishing

What to do:

In a big pot over a medium heat, pour in the olive oil. Add chopped garlic, onion, and thyme. Simmer for about 1-2 minutes until they turn golden then add celery, chilli, potato, and carrots. Gently mix together and leave to cook for about 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk and water.

Bring the pot to the boil. Season well with salt, pepper, and vegetable stock.

The secret is to then add just a dash of fish sauce. I promise this will elevate your dish, bringing the umami taste into the soup.

Leave all the vegetables to cook for about 15 minutes, and then mix them all well with a hand blender.

For garnish, I add some sautéed chanterelle which I foraged to elevate the dish.

Dina’s Wee Tips:

A lot of vegetables can be turned into my easy quick kimchi. Ingredients are very easy, consisting of gochujang, soya sauce or fish sauce, sugar or honey and sesame oil. You can store them for about a week. This is also another way to preserve food.

Dina Watt, an Indonesian now living in Aberdeenshire, is known as the Indonesian Cook. Dina’s love of nature and gardening fuels her passion for cooking using home-grown ingredients. She appears on BBC’s ‘Beechgrove’ in 4 episodes in 2021.

In her column, Dina shares her own adventurous recipes for delicious home-cooked meals that are easy to make using home-grown, seasonal fruits and vegetables from her own kitchen garden. She is passionate about using every bit of the plant in order to practise zero-waste principles.