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Home » Food » By Country or Region » Western Europe » France » Creamy Carrot Soup with Star Anise and Dill

Creamy Carrot Soup with Star Anise and Dill

June 4, 2014 by Kimberly Killebrew · 10 Comments

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creamy cream carrot soup star anise dill recipe gourmet fancy French

Perfect as a first course soup or light main dish served with crusty bread, this upscale Creamy Carrot Soup with Star Anise and Dill is not only extraordinarily delicious, it’s fast and simple to make.

I’ve always loved creamy vegetables soups.  They’re my husband’s favorite kind of soups and he was happy to see me in the kitchen experimenting with this one.  When the soup was done I grabbed a spoon to taste it.  Suddenly everything around me went still.  I stood there in silence staring straight ahead of me, completely fixated on the flavors in my mouth.  My eyes grew wider and I lowered my spoon into the pot for another bite.  This time my eyes sparkled and I smiled.  I grabbed three more spoons, grabbed the pot, and took it outside where my husband was sitting with my parents.  I had each of them sample the soup and they all had virtually identical responses.  The verdict was clear.  This soup is special.  It’s extraordinary.

The star anise adds a pleasantly deep and subtly sweet undercurrent of flavor that will have your palate bewitched after the very first bite. I made it again two days later for the first course of a family meal and it drew a ton of compliments. A perfectly elegant dish to enjoy as a first course to an endless variety of entrees or as a light dinner served with some good crusty bread.

Let’s get started!

I had a lovely bunch of organic rainbow carrots that needed to be used.  This soup was well-deserving of them.  I strongly recommend organic carrots for this recipe as they have much more flavor than non-organic carrots.  The star anise and dill complement the sweet flavor of the carrots beautifully.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 1

Chop up the onion and slice the carrots.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 2

Heat the butter over medium-high heat in a 4-quart saucepan and cook the onion and carrots until softened, 5-7 minutes.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 3

Add the broth, salt and star anise and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 4

Oh, the aroma!  Discard the star anise.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 5

Use a blender stick or food processor to puree the soup until smooth.  I use and love the Cuisinart SmartStick Immersion Hand Blender.  It’s so convenient and easy to clean.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 6

Carrot Anise Soup prep 7

Add the cream, white pepper and dill and heat through.

Carrot Anise Soup prep 8

Serve hot garnished with a sprig of fresh dill.

creamy cream carrot soup star anise dill recipe gourmet fancy French

5.0 from 2 reviews
Creamy Carrot Soup with Anise and Dill
 
Print
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
25 mins
Total time
30 mins
 
: Kimberly Killebrew, www.daringgourmet.com
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 tablespoons butter (vegans: olive oil, coconut oil, vegetable spread)
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1½ pounds carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 cups chicken broth (vegans: vegetable broth)
  • ½ cup heavy cream (vegans: coconut milk, soy milk, cashew cream)
  • 6 whole star anise
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped dill
Instructions
  1. Heat the butter in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the onion and carrots. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the carrots are almost tender. Add the broth, star anise and salt, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the star anise.
  2. Use a blender stick or food processor to puree the soup until smooth. Add the heavy cream, white pepper and dill. Heat through and serve hot garnished with a sprig of fresh dill.
3.2.2708

 

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10 Comments →

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10 Responses

  1. Dianne says

    May 7, 2020 at 12:10 pm

    Fabulous soup! I was able to quickly make this soup to serve at lunchtime. I loved the addition of anise which I happened to have on hand. It added a nice subtle flavor. Perfect soup for a chilly day. I will definitely be making this again and again.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      May 8, 2020 at 8:04 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dianne, thank you!

      Reply
  2. Sarah says

    January 6, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    This is beyond good. I made it in my instant pot, 5 min on soup setting then 5 mins natural release before venting. Best carrot soup ever!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 6, 2020 at 2:03 pm

      Wonderful, Sarah, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    February 23, 2015 at 2:33 pm

    Creamy. It was tasty. It’s a simple soup and anise wasn’t too powerful for me. However, I prefer the taste of celery soup :)

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      February 23, 2015 at 7:36 pm

      You prefer the taste of celery soup??? Well, I’m okay with that since I really enjoy the celery soup as well :) I really do love this carrot soup though – the anise gives it such a wonderful, warming touch.

      Reply
      • Jennifer says

        February 24, 2015 at 6:02 am

        lol, it’s the first time I try star anise . . . maybe I need to warm up to it? lol

        Reply
        • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

          February 24, 2015 at 7:07 am

          lol, Jennifer :)

          Reply
  4. Amanda L. says

    June 4, 2014 at 8:11 pm

    Okay, I made this soup tonight and…WOW. Seriously, my husband was laughing at how excited I was over carrot soup, lol! This is not only the best carrot soup I’ve ever had, it’s one of the best soups I’ve had PERIOD. The flavor really is extraordinarily delicious. Thank you, Kimberly, for yet another fantastic recipe! Amanda

    Reply
    • The Daring Gourmet says

      June 4, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      I’m so thrilled to hear that, Amanda, and thanks so much for your feedback! I know, my husband was amused by my reaction, too – I just kept standing by the pot of soup, tasting one spoonful after the other, ooohing and ahhhing :) Funny how something so simple can be so captivating. I love this soup! And once my husband tried it, he understood :)

      Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

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