Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Laurel Matsui stepped into the kitchen of her South Campus apartment facing a startling reality — she would have to learn to cook for herself. The junior Bandier student rose to the challenge, establishing a new skill that has served her for hundreds of meals since: making soup.

Soup is a great addition to any student’s cooking repertoire. It’s a relatively easy, low-cost process with ample room for growth and experimentation. Thus, Matsui gravitated toward learning how to make soup over other fare. Her favorite fall soup is vegan ginger carrot topped with thyme, she said.

“Soup is a comfort food,” Matsui said. “Growing up, my mom would make an array of soups and stews.”

Social media platforms such as Pinterest and TikTok have endless recipes to scour through, which make searching for recipes quite easy. These recipes do not necessarily have to be followed step-by-step but can simply serve as the inspiration for your soup.

Matsui describes her approach to soup making as a mix of using Pinterest pins and whatever ingredients she already has.

Anyone who wants to start cooking more soup should invest in reliable, staple seasonings such as coriander, cumin and turmeric, Matsui said. Vegetables and broth can be bought accordingly, but having a good set of seasonings can transform the possibilities of your food. She said her favorite seasoning to use is thyme because of its distinct flavor and versatility.

But Matsui also said that seasoning can make or break your soup.

“Seasoning is really important,” she said. “Without quality seasoning, your soup may as well be water with some spatterings of carrots and meat.”

Matsui noted the importance of textural differences, which can be achieved by using a variety of garnishes such as seeds or herbs.

Carrot ginger soup is the perfect meal to kick off the fall season. From the autumnal colors of the carrot and ginger to the delectable thickness, this soup is a necessary addition to your fall menu. This soup is also vegan and relatively healthy, and despite the lack of meat products, this soup is still a certified comfort food, making it the perfect light dish.

Here are the ingredients and steps you need to make carrot ginger soup:

Maya Goosmann | Digital Design Director

Steps:

One

Set the oven to 400 degrees and allow it to completely heat it. While the oven is setting, begin to wash and peel your carrots — one of the most therapeutic cooking practices, in my opinion. Then, cut your carrots into diagonal pieces, creating a lot of surface space. Place the carrots on a pan with the olive oil and salt and put it in the oven for 25 minutes or until fork-tender and caramelized.

Two

While your carrots roast, dice the yellow onion and garlic cloves. Put a dash of olive oil in a large pot on your stove top and set it to medium heat. Mix in the onions and cook them for five minutes before adding in the garlic. Add in the coriander and cumin and let the pot sit for a few minutes. Lastly, add your vegetable broth, water and coconut milk, but save a little coconut milk to garnish.

Three

Use a fork or toothpick to ensure your carrots are roasted well — the carrots should be soft enough for the utensil to go through — and then add them from the pan to the pot. Bring the stove to high heat, allowing the mixture to boil for a minute or so.

Four

Taste your soup to test if it is sufficiently boiled — it should be hot enough that you have to blow on the spoon before tasting. If it is, transfer the soup from the pot into a blender. Blend at a low speed until the mixture is completely smooth, and add in a dash of lemon and black pepper.

Five

If you choose, drizzle a bit of the coconut milk on top of your soup, along with your herb of choice, like thyme — Matsui’s favorite. Enjoy!

Published on October 13, 2021 at 11:51 pm