CHILLED CARROT-CUMIN SOUP WITH CARROT TOP–CILANTRO PESTO

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings | PREP TIME: 10 minutes | STOVETOP: about 25 minutes | CHILLING TIME: 2 hours • 1 tablespoon avocado oil • 2 pounds (907 g) carrots with tops, tops removed and reserved, carrots peeled or scrubbed and chopped • 1 pound (454 g) leeks (about 2 medium), white and light green parts only, cleaned and chopped • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds • 6 cups (1440 ml) Veggie-Herb Broth or equal parts Chicken Broth and water • 1 cup (240 ml) fresh orange juice FOR THE PESTO: • Reserved carrot tops (from above) • 1 cup (240 ml) packed fresh cilantro leaves (about 1 bunch) • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil • ¼ cup pine nuts • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lime juice • ¼ teaspoon salt 1. Make the soup: Heat the avocado oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the carrots, leeks, and cumin seeds. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the leeks have softened and the cumin seeds are fragrant. 2. Add the broth and orange juice and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat so the soup is at a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the carrots are very soft. 3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until very smooth. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours. 4. Make the pesto: Remove and discard the tough stems of the carrot tops and clean the greens well. Measure out 1 cup (240 ml) of the cleaned, stemmed greens. 5. Put the cleaned carrot tops, cilantro, olive oil, pine nuts, lime juice, and salt in a food processor. Pulse 10 to 12 times, until you have a coarse puree. 6. Serve the chilled soup topped with the pesto. Chef’s Tip: Freeze any remaining pesto if not using within 4 days. Prefer to use it up? It’s also great on Minestrone with Orecchiette , Spring Chicken Soup with Lemon and Asparagus , or Moroccan Carrot Soup with Yogurt and Mace or just stirred into some veggie noodles . AIP Modification: Use ginger or turmeric instead of cumin, and use artichoke hearts instead of pine nuts in the pesto. Nut-Free Modification: Use artichoke hearts instead of pine nuts in the pesto.

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Chilled carrot-cumin soup is a silky, refreshing bowl where cumin seeds toast with sweet carrots and leeks before orange juice brightens the whole pot. The surprise is the carrot top-cilantro pesto swirled on top — grassy, nutty, and vibrant green. Serve it ice cold after at least two hours in the fridge for maximum refreshment.

Pro Tips

• Use the carrot tops in the pesto — they are the best part of buying whole carrots with greens, and this pesto is exactly why the recipe saves them.
• Toast the cumin seeds with the carrots and leeks for the full 7-8 minutes. Whole seeds need that gentle heat to release their nutty fragrance.
• Blend the soup until very smooth and chill it thoroughly. A lukewarm version loses all the elegance that makes this soup special.
• Leftover pesto freezes beautifully in ice cube trays and turns up brilliantly on minestrone or stirred into veggie noodles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I serve this carrot soup warm instead of chilled?

You can, but the chilled version is what makes it special — the cold soup with the bright, room-temperature pesto is the whole experience.

What can I use instead of pine nuts in the pesto?

Artichoke hearts are the recipe's nut-free substitution, and they give the pesto a similar creamy, rich texture without the nuts.

How far ahead can I make this soup?

The soup base keeps 3-4 days in the fridge and actually improves as it chills. Make the pesto fresh the day you serve it for the brightest color.

Is this soup AIP-friendly?

With two swaps: use ginger or turmeric instead of cumin, and artichoke hearts instead of pine nuts in the pesto, as the recipe notes direct.

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