Aran Goyoaga might be most known for her gluten-free baking (after all, her new book Cannelle et Vanille Bakes Simple is devoted to the topic), but she happens to be just as talented with savory ingredients too. She worked her magic on this carrot, fennel and miso soup recipe exclusively for PureWow—just wait until you try the seed-nut crunch.
“The caramelized vegetables and miso in this soup give it depth of flavor,” she writes, “and the crunch, texture. Be sure to cook the vegetables down enough that they begin to stick to the pan slightly without burning. The goal is to really toast those natural sugars in the carrots, fennel and miso.”
Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup
Seed-Nut Crunch
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon white miso
½ teaspoon harissa powder or paprika
Small pinch kosher salt
Soup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into medium pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 medium fennel bulb, core removed and cut into a medium dice
1½ pounds (7 to 8 medium) carrots, scrubbed and cut into medium pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons white miso
4 cups water
1. Make the crunch: Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Stir and cook until they begin to toast and smell nutty, about 1 minute.
2. Add the sugar, miso, harissa powder and salt, and continue cooking while stirring constantly until the sugar and miso melt and everything caramelizes, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Immediately transfer to a plate and spread out the mixture to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
3. Make the soup: Heat a large (7-quart) Dutch oven or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, garlic, fennel, carrot and salt. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to caramelize, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the miso and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until caramelized, about 1 minute more. The vegetables should have a slightly caramelized color—this will give the soup depth of flavor.
5. Add the water and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Using an immersion blender or high-speed blender, puree the soup. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve the soup with the seed-nut crunch and a drizzle of olive oil.