It’s a rainy spring night and soup is in order. I bought arugula to turn into a zingy pesto, and fully intend to use the remainder for Easter lamb. I decided to roast the carrots before adding them to the soup to amp up their natural sweetness, and find that white pepper is a nice match for a root vegetable. Chicken stock made over the weekend became the base of this soup, but vegetable stock could just as easily step in.

Carrot soup with arugula pesto

For the soup: 

2 lbs. carrots, tops cut off, washed, and scrubbed well

1 white or yellow onion, chopped

1.5 quarts (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

Sea salt and white pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Place carrots on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tbsp. of the olive oil and season with salt and white pepper. Roast until just beginning to soften, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Heat the remaining oil in a deep soup pot oven medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook uncovered until just beginning to brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the carrots, stock, and thyme, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat back down to medium-low and simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, about 40-45 minutes. Remove thyme springs. Purée the soup in a blender, food processor, or with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

For the pesto:

4 1/2 cups arugula, washed and completely dried

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup almonds

2 tsp. lemon zest

1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the arugula until coarsely chopped. Add the almonds and pulse again until the greens and nuts are chopped and combined. Add the salt, pepper, and zest, and then with the motor running, add the olive oil in a steady stream. Turn out into a bowl and stir in the cheese.

To serve: 

Serve soup topped with pesto and a spoonful of fromage fraîs, ricotta, crème fraîche, or sour cream.