We survived social media - back to blogs! South Asian inspired Carrot soup

I'm getting off social media because Facebook is dull and never shows me any of my friend's content. Like my friends, I'm unmotivated to make content as no one interacts with it. It is depressing to go there as the algorithm feels soulless. I don't use Instagram except to post photos and I prefer for it to be politics free.

But I do miss writing and documenting my cooking. So - back to the blog! 

It is wintertime in Kefalonia, Greece which means that it is raining a lot and grey outside. What better time for soup? I am also a diabetic now (since March 2025) so I'm learning to cook in a way to keep my blood sugar stable and I've lost 10kg. So I'll post some of my diabetic friendly modifications for cooking that I've developed. 

This weekend, I made a South Asian inspired carrot soup from the New York Times cooking app. it was lighter and less chunky than many other carrot soups and not as sweet. Really delicious! Here's my adaptation (and you can get the original recipe at the link).

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 2medium onions, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 3 tablespoon chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon toasted and ground coriander
• 1 chopped thai chili (from my garden)
• Salt
• 8 cups chicken broth 
• 2 pounds young carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (can add parsnips too)
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 12 curry leaves
• Cilantro leaves, for garnish
• Lime or lemon wedges

1. Step 1

   Put a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons coconut oil. When oil is hot, add onions and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, or until onions are lightly browned. Add ginger, garlic, turmeric, coriander and chili and cook for one minute more, or just until fragrant. Season generously with salt.

2. Step 2

   Add carrots and 8 cups chicken broth. Raise the heat and bring to a brisk simmer, then put on the lid and turn heat to low. Cook until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool slightly. Using a stick blender, puree the soup. Thin with water if necessary; the soup should not be too thick. 

3. Step 3

   Heat remaining tablespoon of coconut oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves. Cook for one minute, or until spices are fragrant and beginning to pop. Pour the entire contents of the pan into the soup and stir to combine. Taste for salt and adjust.

4. Step 4

    Ladle into bowl, give each bowl a squeeze of lime (or lemon) and garnish with cilantro leaves.