For about two years now I’ve been hearing the same mantra from one of my favorite foodie friends (who unfortunately isn’t a blogger – but perhaps one day!).
Come on, everyone is doing it!, she coaxed. You know you want to!
Grab some butter and don’t look back!
She’s a brown butter-pusher, all the way.
I know I like brown butter because I’ve had it in a lot of yummy things – cookies, savory sauces (so delicious on homemade gnocchi, especially if a sweet friend makes the gnocchi so you don’t have to!), sweet sauces, and such – mostly from the friend who is always pushing brown butter on me, lol! She is right to do so though, because brown butter’s incredibly deep, nutty flavor brings real depth and richness to a dish.
Until I made this soup I’ve never made brown butter. (I know, that is pretty sad. Don’t lose all faith in me as a food blogger; I can guarantee brown butter will be reappearing in my kitchen soon.)
If you haven’t tried it, the best thing I can compare brown butter versus regular butter with is the difference between a roasted nut and a raw nut. Raw nuts are delicious (and serve many purposes), but flavor-wise, roasting them draws out their deliciously nutty flavor.
How does brown butter tie into this soup? Well, in true October form, it’s been a roller coaster of warmish/sunny and chilly/rainy weather here lately. Warm and sunny means BBQ, but what better to cure what ails you on a cold, damp day than a bowl of soup, right? And after recently enjoying the carrot/apple combo in latkes, I knew I wanted to play with another dish combining those flavors. The sweet and savory flavor of this soup was perfectly accentuated with a drizzle of paprika-spiced brown butter. Crème fraîche is completely optional, but rounds the dish out nicely with a slightly tangy flavor and creamy texture.
My beautiful new KitchenAid hand blender.
The fabulous people at KitchenAid where kind enough to send me a lovely hand blender (also called an immersion blender), which was very timely because my previous hand blender (which I feel the need to clarify was not a KitchenAid, lol) had just recently died. I loved using the KitchenAid hand blender; it is a powerful piece of equipment and made pureeing this soup a quick and easy task. I’m happy to have an immersion blender again; they are so much easier to use than having to transfer hot soup to the regular blender to puree…plus they’re easier to clean too! Thank you, KitchenAid!
Now, go brown some butter and give this soup a try!
- 4-5 medium-large (about 1 lb) carrots, scrubbed, ends trimmed, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium-large onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 1 medium-large sweet/tart apple (washed but unpeeled), cored and quartered
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided (plus more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 large cloves garlic, grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon ground sweet paprika
- Crème fraîche, for garnish (optional)
- Minced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
- Preheat oven to 400F; line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner if desired.
- Toss together the carrot, onion, apple, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper on the baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Roast until everything is tender and starting to turn golden in spots, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
- Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a medium-sized soup pot over medium heat; once melted, add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and remaining ⅛ teaspoon black pepper; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add the stock and roasted vegetables, and turn the heat off.
- Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or puree it in batches in a regular blender). Transfer the soup back to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and season with additional salt as desired.
- While the soup is coming to a simmer, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the paprika in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Once melted, cook until the butter starts to smell nutty and turn golden, about 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve topped with paprika brown butter, crème fraîche, and chives.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
AstraLibris says
October 19, 2012 at 5:31 amPaprika browned butter sounds heavenly!!! Yay for your new immersion blender too! :-)
Erica says
October 19, 2012 at 5:34 amSweet & savory! Perfection! Although its still 80 here, I made soup last night too :). Mine was of the white bean/spinach variety. Love soup.
Gabriela {What Liberty Ate} says
October 19, 2012 at 6:21 amI’m a lover of brown butter too! And this soup combination is dressed in flavor. My boyfriend will be very happy to taste this, for sure!
Toni says
October 19, 2012 at 7:45 amI’ve just recently discovered the old roast veg soup and am loving the idea of roast carrot and apple. Will definitely give it a try. Your blog is amazing… a true inspiration.
x
http://ettas-corner.blogspot.com
marla says
October 19, 2012 at 8:37 amGorgeous soup Faith! Pinned :) Have a great weekend!
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
October 19, 2012 at 8:52 amThis is sensational, Faith! Gorgeous soup and photography!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
October 19, 2012 at 10:23 amThis is lovely! I especially like the sound of that butter! Yes, please!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
October 19, 2012 at 11:19 amPaprika brown butter?! I love it, I’m going to be thinking about this soup all day :).
Rachel @ Bakerita says
October 19, 2012 at 12:48 pmThis sounds phenomenal! What a perfect fall soup. I’m an enthusiastic advocate of brown butter as well, but I’ve never thought to spice it! Sounds like the perfect soup drizzle :) Can’t wait to try it!
Evelyne@cheapethniceatz says
October 19, 2012 at 1:14 pmThe combo of the fuller tasting brown butter and the roasted veggies…tastes outstanding for sure! My hand blender died too not long ago lol.
Jessie says
October 19, 2012 at 1:27 pmDon’t feel bad for not having made brown butter before! I’ve made rown butter only once, but it was so good, I really wonder why I haven’t made it again! This carrot-apple soup seems like the perfect base for brown butter, and it’s perfect for the nasty cold and wet weather we’ve been having.
Love your new immersion blender! Aren’t they great? :)
Suzie says
October 19, 2012 at 6:48 pmFaith, your soup looks delicious and I’m glad you got a new immersion blender. I don’t have one myself but, have seen how useful they are. I also wanted to stop by and thank you personally for participating in Veronica’s fundraiser for myself. I really, really appreciate it!! xoxo
Faith says
October 20, 2012 at 8:44 amSuzie, Thank you so much for stopping by! It is my pleasure to participate in Veronica’s fundraiser and I am only too happy to help. Wishing you all the best.
Faith xo
Jen L | Tartine and Apron Strings says
October 20, 2012 at 12:45 amI LUH-UV brown butter. Please coat me in brown butter :) If it weren’t too fattening, I think I would eat it every day of the week. With roasted carrot-apple soup? I think it’s perfect! I did a green lentil and apple brown butter soup last month and it was a hit with my kids (including a 9-month-old). I’m sure this one will be, too. Can’t wait to try it!
Joanne says
October 20, 2012 at 6:12 amI’m drooling in a major way. I’ve never really dealt with brown butter much either but this soup is really calling to me. It’s happening.
Tracy Wood says
October 20, 2012 at 7:05 amLovely recipe. I am planning on serving soup to my clan on Thanksgiving as a first course….looking for something just like this! Thanks!
Nancy-SpicieFoodie says
October 20, 2012 at 9:32 amI’m so so hungry now. You don’t know how much I wish I had a big bowl of your soup. Don’t feel bad about the brown butter, I haven’t cooked with. But after reading your post that is going to change very soon. Thanks for sharing Faith and I hope you have a great weekend:)
Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says
October 20, 2012 at 10:21 pmPerfect soup for fall! I’ve only tried brown butter once and it was for some rice krispie treats….I’m always scared I will cook too much and it will burn.
Heather @girlichef says
October 21, 2012 at 10:40 amOh my goodness…this sounds amazing. I’m a brown butter pusher, as well, so I totally get it. And um, that Paprika Brown Butter is SO calling my name. Gorgeous.
nancy at good food matters says
October 21, 2012 at 1:47 pmI have a friend who maintains that brown butter can make cardboard taste good! It is great stuff, and your analogy with toasted vs. raw nuts is right on.
What a fabulous looking bowl of soup—perfect for fall.
Jeanette says
October 21, 2012 at 2:47 pmI love all the warm spices in this fall soup. I haven’t tried brown butter, but I’m sure it adds some nice nuttiness to this soup.
Krista says
October 21, 2012 at 7:27 pmOh I love this, Faith!!! What a gorgeous twist on a traditional creamy carrot soup. LOVE the addition of browned butter, you clever woman. :-)
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
October 21, 2012 at 11:11 pmI don’t do much with brown butter and I have been nagged about it as well. This soup is a pretty convincing argument to jump in!
grace says
October 22, 2012 at 11:11 ampaprika brown butter sounds dreamy, and it makes your soup look even more lovely!
Cara says
November 23, 2012 at 2:30 pmTHIS SOUP IS AMAZING!! I made it a few nights ago and usually I don’t remember to post a reply on blogs, but this soup deserves it! The paprika butter was unbelievable. I’d never had it before.
It took a while to roast the veggies but it’s so worth it. Everyone should try this recipe. Thank you for this awesome recipe :D
Priscilla | ShesCookin says
November 29, 2012 at 9:32 pmI love my immersion blender and use it frequently – and it is a Kitchen Aid :) A little bit of browned butter adds a whole lotta flavor!
Katherine says
September 23, 2013 at 7:28 amHi there, do you think this soup would hold up in the freezer? I am going on maternity leave soon and am hoping to fill my freezer with yummy soups!
Faith says
September 23, 2013 at 7:31 amKatherine, Congrats on the upcoming arrival of your little one! I think this soup would freeze well, but of course hold off on any garnishes/toppings until right before you want to serve it. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Melissa says
March 6, 2014 at 2:33 pmWhen things are roasted, they get much sweeter. Is this soup real sweet?
Faith says
March 14, 2014 at 12:27 pmMelissa, The soup has a really complex subtly sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. I think the flavor is nicely balanced, especially with the tanginess of crème fraîche for garnish. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Debbie Spivey says
September 23, 2014 at 12:08 pmHi Faith!
I just wanted to tell you this recipe is amazing! I made it for Meatless Monday last night. I plan on sharing this recipe next Monday on my blog The Mountain Kitchen.
Thanks so much!
Debbie Spivey
Cat says
May 13, 2015 at 6:49 amI made a batch of this last night for my week’s lunches. Soooo tasty! Sadly I can’t make the brown butter garnish at work so I added a dash of Paprika to the soup right at the end for a little extra zest. Thanks for the recipe! :)
PekoPeko says
April 28, 2019 at 11:36 amSo delicious! Even without the browned butter, cream and chives, this soup tasted amazing. It went straight to my “to make again” list.