Carrot and Coriander Soup

Allow about 15 minutes to prepare and measure everything. Peel, trim and weigh the carrots, then cut into 5mm half-moons, quartering thick carrots first so the pieces are no more than about 20mm across. Dice the weighed peeled onion about 5mm. Wash and drain the fresh coriander, remove woody ends, then weigh 15g leaves and tender stems to chop and a separate 5g leaves for the bowls. Measure all the oil, ground coriander, ready-to-use stock, pepper and conditional salt allowance, and a single 150ml water reserve. Check the blender's hot-liquid, immersion, fill and duty-cycle instructions before starting. Choose a deep, relatively narrow saucepan of at least 4 litres, about 20–22cm inside, with room for the raw vegetables and stock below two-thirds full and below any stricter maker limit. Use a larger deep, compatible vessel before cooking if raw loading would exceed that line; a wider vessel is not automatically suitable because it reduces blending depth. Set out a stable heatproof landing space. If preparation or equipment setup takes longer, add the actual extra time.

Put all the vegetable oil in the saucepan and warm over medium-low heat for about 1 minute, without letting it smoke. Add all the onion and cook gently for about 8 minutes, stirring often, until softened and translucent with no dark edges. Lower the heat if it begins to colour; if still firm, continue gently until softened and allow the additional time.

Reduce the heat to low, stir in all the ground coriander and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously. It should smell fragrant, not toasted dark or burnt. Have the measured stock ready to stop the spice frying at the end of this stage.

Add all the carrots and the full 950ml ready-to-use stock, stir well and put on the lid. Bring to the boil over medium to medium-high heat, watching for bubbling, then immediately reduce the heat. Allow about 8 minutes for loading, stirring and heating; a slower hob or fridge-cold stock may need longer. Do not start the simmer timer before the liquid is bubbling. Keep the contents below the selected working fill limit; do not add the water reserve here merely to cover the carrots.

Cover and maintain a gentle simmer over low heat for about 22 minutes. Lift the lid away from your face occasionally to stir from the bottom and turn any exposed carrot pieces into the liquid, replacing the lid promptly so they cook evenly in liquid and steam. Avoid a hard boil and lower the heat if the bottom catches. At the end, press a thick piece against the pan with the spoon: it should crush readily with no firm centre. If it does not, continue covered in further 5-minute cycles, stirring and testing at each check, until the carrots are fully soft. Each cycle adds time; there is no fixed maximum and hard carrots must not be blended to meet a timetable.

Switch off the hob and place the pan securely on the stable heatproof surface, using suitable protection for the handles and keeping hands and face away from steam. Allow about 2 minutes for active bubbling to subside and handling checks. This is not a promise of a safe liquid temperature. Follow the actual blender's maximum liquid temperature, measuring if its instructions require it; wait longer if necessary and count that additional cooling time. Check the pan is below the stricter fill limit and that the blade guard can remain fully submerged to the maker's required depth without touching the base. Do not use a sealed jug, smoothie cup or closed processor. If no permitted temperature and safe immersion can be established, do not blend.

Allow about 4 minutes for blending and adjustment. With the pan off the heat, position the blender so the guard is fully submerged, then start at low speed. Move slowly through the vegetables, keeping the running guard below the surface; stop the motor before lifting it out. Blend until smooth and pourable, accepting fine carrot or herb flecks rather than promising a perfectly silky result. Stop, add the chopped 15g fresh coriander and blend briefly again. If too thick, stop the motor and stir in a little of the measured water reserve, repeating only as needed within the single 150ml total allowance. Aim for soup that lightly coats the spoon, not a stiff purée; do not add water to force the estimated yield. If the vessel is too wide for safe immersion, stop and disconnect the blender and, only when safe to handle, ladle the soup into a deeper hot-liquid-compatible vessel that meets its fill and immersion limits. Do not tilt a pan or lift running blades, and do not add excess water to create depth. Count any extra transfer or processing time. Follow motor duty-cycle pauses and count their actual duration separately. Disconnect power before clearing or touching the blade assembly; never put a spoon beside moving blades.

Return the soup to the saucepan if transferred and heat gently over low to medium-low heat, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until evenly serving-hot. Avoid prolonged boiling after adding the fresh coriander. Longer cooling or motor pauses may mean longer reheating; allow the actual additional time rather than serving lukewarm soup. Stir in all the black pepper. Taste a small spoonful allowed to cool, then add fine salt only if needed, a little at a time within the 2g allowance. Do not automatically add it all. The texture check and seasoning are included in this stage, not a separate uncounted rest.

Allow about 2 minutes to divide the soup evenly between four bowls and distribute the reserved 5g fresh coriander leaves over them. Serve straight away. The intended yield is around 1.6–1.8 litres, roughly 400–450ml per bowl, but it has not been measured and depends on evaporation and water actually needed. No cream swirl, oil drizzle or cooked garnish is included.