Maple Syrup Mysteries: Roasted Carrot Soup

Can a drizzle of maple syrup transform a savory soup? Let's get cooking with this vegan recipe!

I love drizzling maple syrup on pancakes. Lots of it. And yet, I agree that a little goes a long way in terms of that distinct flavor. Plus, in this month’s newsletter series, you and I learned how much tree sap and how much work it takes to make maple syrup.

So I figured that for the last episode of Maple Syrup Mysteries, I’ll showcase how a tablespoon of maple syrup will work in a meal for four people. Does this look appealing to you? Or do you take one look at the recipe and say: Yeah, no, let’s triple the amount of maple syrup? Let me know in the comments.

New here? Every month, Climate Culinarians picks one topic and publishes a series of newsletters about it, ending with a recipe (see the weekly structure here). This month was all about maple syrup. Subscribe to never miss a new post!

Roasted carrot maple soup

Carrots + maple syrup = classic! Same goes for bacon + maple syrup, I know. But I’d like to keep my recipes vegetarian. Or, like in this case, vegan. Red lentils provide substance. And they match the color scheme.

I believe a shared meal is the best opportunity to talk about climate solutions. And about maple syrup, of course. So I hope you’ll enjoy this soup in good company.

Serves 4 people.

Ingredients:

500g carrots (about 6 medium carrots / 1 lb)

1 Tbsp high-heat oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch cayenne pepper

110g red lentils (a little more than 1/2 cup)

juice of 1/2 lime

Make it:

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut carrots in coins, about 1/2 inch thick. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a large baking sheet. Roast carrots for 15 min.

Toss roasted carrots with maple syrup. Roast for another 5 min.

Meanwhile, coarsly chop onion, same with garlic.

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil until it starts to shimmer. Sautee onion until translucent, about 5-8 min. Add garlic and seasoning. Cook on medium high for 1 min.

Add lentils and 3 cups water. On high, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until lentils fall apart, about 10-15 min.

Remove pot from stove. Add carrots to pot (reserve a few for garnish if you like). With an immersion blender, carefully blend until smooth. You can also use a blender and do this in batches. Be careful, it’s hot!

Add 1 cup of water and warm through on the stove, about 3 min. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, season with salt. Garnish with reserved roasted carrots if you like.

This is the last part about maple syrup. If you missed the other episodes, follow these links:

• Maple Syrup Mysteries, Part 1: How maple syrup is made

• Maple Syrup Mysteries, Part 2: How does climate change affect maple syrup, and what can you do?

• Maple Syrup Mysteries, Part 3: Reading recs! A cookbook, fascinating homesteaders, and a cozy mystery novel.

And what’s coming up next Thursday? A new topic! Next month will be about …. well, you wait and see. All I’m saying is it will involve a liquid pleasure that you may or may not consider proper food.

Eat, read, repeat!
Petrina

Climate Culinarians is a project by me, Petrina Engelke. I write about climate, food and the U.S., and I help other writers turn their ideas into a book people want to read. In other words: I’m a journalist and a book coach. Read more about this newsletter & me here.