Recipe: Carrot Coconut Vichyssoise (blender)

CARROT COCONUT VICHYSSOISE
(meat, pareve or dairy)

"To make soup kosher for Passover, substitute a nondairy creamer."

4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
2 medium Idaho or russet potatoes, peeled and diced
16 ounces baby carrots (or 2 cups sliced carrots)
1 leek, sliced, white and pale green parts only
1 shallot, diced
Dash ground white pepper
2/3 cup coconut milk*
1/2 cup soy milk (or light cream)*
For the Balsamic Garnish:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dark molasses

PREPARE THE SOUP:
Place the stock, potatoes, carrots, leek and shallot into a medium soup pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until vegetables are very tender. Season with white pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes longer.

Add the coconut milk. Remove from heat. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender right in the pot and puree for a full 3 minutes.

Stir in the soy milk or light cream (or nondairy substitute).

Place the soup in the refrigerator and cool for at least 5 hours.

PREPARE THE GARNISH:
Place the balsamic vinegar and molasses in a small pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on low for 6 to 8 minutes, until reduced by half. Place in refrigerator; it will get thicker as it cools.

TO SERVE:
Ladle the soup into bowls. Then with the tip of a spoon, or a squirt bottle, add a swirl of the balsamic to each bowl.

*Coconut milk, a thick, creamy mixture of coconut meat and water, is parve and there are a number of kosher brands that are available. Coconut milk is sold in cans and is different from cream of coconut, which is very sweet and used mostly for drinks. (The clear liquid inside a coconut is not coconut milk; it is called coconut juice.)

If you cannot find canned coconut milk, are really desperate and are up to the task, you can make your own by cutting the meat of a small coconut into small chunks and pureeing them in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over and let it sit for 1/2 hour. Process again until smooth. Pour into a cheesecloth lined bowl, squeezing out the milk into a bowl. You need to use this within a few days or it will spoil.

Makes 6 to 8 servings
Source: Kosher by Design Entertains by Susie Fishbein