A clear glass bowl of puréed carrot soup topped with seasoned cracker crumbs.

Carrot Soup with Seasoned Cracker Crumbs

It's a sad situation when you open a just bought box of crackers and discover that they're stale. Attempt to spread them with peanut butter and they disintegrate. Don't try to take a bite out of a cracker topped with hard cheese; it'll shatter to bits. I suppose I could've shoved the entire cracker into my mouth.

You could take the box back to the store and angrily wave it in the manager's face. But for those who'd rather not go viral on the internet, I have a solution.

Salvage that maddening box of crackers. Make seasoned crackers. They add delicious, crunchy texture to a pureéd vegetable soup.

Text and Photo by Jac Kyles Baker

Makes 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 lb. carrots, sliced

1 small russet potato, diced

1 small onion, diced

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 TB unsalted butter

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

3 cups water

1 tsp white vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

For the seasoned cracker crumbs (optional):

10-15 wheat crackers, broken into pieces

2 TB unsalted butter, melted

1 TB chopped parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

salt to taste

dash of cayenne

Preparation

For the seasoned cracker crumbs:

In a bowl toss cracker crumbs, melted butter, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt and cayenne.

Spread crackers on a microwave safe plate. Microwave on HIGH 30 seconds. Carefully remove from microwave. Cool on plate.

Store crumbs in an air tight container. Crumbs should keep for up to three days.

For the carrot soup:

Add onions, butter and oil to a microwave safe large, shallow bowl or pie pan. Microwave on HIGH for 3 to 4 minutes.

Carefully remove dish from microwave. Stir chili powder and smoked paprika into vegetables. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute.

Carefully remove dish from microwave. Add diced potato and carrots. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cover dish. Microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove dish from microwave. Stir in baking soda.* Add water. Cover and microwave 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Carefully remove dish from microwave. Uncover and cool soup for 5 minutes. Stir in white wine vinegar. Purée soup in a blender (or with an immersion blender) until smooth.

Serve topped with seasoned cracker crumbs if desired.

Cook's Notes

*Baking soda helps to tenderize the carrots.

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