Thai Mango & Carrot Soup (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

We're using up freezer-stash Mango today.  Here's what happened --

INGREDIENTS*
* Things that are grouped by color in my ingredient lists can be measured out into bowls together while getting your Mise en Place, to streamline your process as well as minimize the number of things you'll have to clean later. Anything left white/un-highlighted should be kept separate by itself.

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 medium-to-large Onion (chopped)
• 5 cloves Garlic (roughly chopped)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of Ginger (peeled with a spoon, and minced)
• 4 medium-to-large Carrots (cut into rounds)
• 1 Red Bird’s Eye Chili (roughly chopped)
• 1 stalk of Lemongrass (cut into segments short enough to fit into your pot but large enough that you will be able to easily find them later)
• 3 Mangoes (peeled, flesh removed from core, and chopped)....or ~4 cups frozen mango chunks
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Ground Coriander
• 2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
• A few fresh grates of Nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground White Pepper
• 4 cups Vegetable Broth
• 8 Makrut Lime Leaves (bruised)
• 1 can of lite Coconut Milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a medium-to-large pot, and then sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, carrots, chili, and lemongrass over high heat until the onions just start to take on some brown color.
2. Add in about 2/3 of the mango and all the spices, and cook on high heat for just a few minutes to develop those flavors – then tip in the vegetable broth, toss in the lime leaves, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and let it all simmer together for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft.
3. Remove the lemongrass and lime leaves from the pot and toss in the rest of the mango and the coconut milk.
4. Using a stick/immersion blender, work the soup until it’s completely smooth. (Alternatively, you can accomplish this process in a regular blender – you’ll just have to pour the soup back into the pot afterwards.)
5. Return the lemongrass and lime leaves to the pot, and bring it all back up to temperature -- tasting and adjusting any spices you wish as you go.
6. Serve with an optional garnish of fresh cilantro, maybe a tiny sprinkle of extra nutmeg, or even some additional chilies if you're feeling spicy. (The lemongrass and lime leaves aren't meant to be eaten – but if you really, really want to….)

NOTES:

• I leave the Lemongrass and Lime Leaves in the soup as it sits, so they can continue infusing their flavor -- even when storing any leftovers.
• The soup will likely get a little spicier the longer you store leftovers in the fridge or otherwise, as the Bird's Eye Chili will also keep doing its thing.

This post is an original recipe that I created from scratch.

My goal is to share my love of food simply -- without all the fluff (unless it's Marshmallow Fluff!), long winded stories, excessive and repetitive photos, or incessant rambling that I see on other blogs.  I personally tend to skip over all that, just scrolling straight to the bottom in hopes of finding the recipe right away.  Therefore, I hope you appreciate the brevity above.

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