OUT AT the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon this past summer, the oysters were lovely, served on a bed of ice with rhubarb-peppercorn mignonette, a wedge of lemon and two tiny forks. The sun shone as a breeze drifted off the ruffled, glinting waters of Hood Canal, from which the oysters came; the outdoor seating offered cooling shade; and a bottle of peachy-pale rosé chilled in a tin pail next to a local bouquet. Other things were just perfect, too: Dungeness crab served cold with cocktail sauce, a bounteous shrimp Louie salad, more oysters with chipotle-bourbon butter. The roasted carrot soup, served hot, seemed an odd choice for summertime, but then, when you drive from Seattle out to this oyster paradise, the mood becomes less “Why?” and more “Why not?”
The carrot soup was so good, it seemed kind of unbelievable. “CARROT SOUP incredibly creamy velvet layered flavors mild curry faint smokiness, whisper of nuttiness, exacting salt level” are how the notes in my phone went before I stopped so I could get more of it before my equally carrot-soup-enthused companion ate it all. Was this our favorite thing on this excellent Hama Hama afternoon? Comparing carrot soup to oysters goes beyond apples to oranges, but it’s not hyperbole to say that in the category of carrot soup, this one was just shockingly outstanding. It also, according to the menu, happened to be vegan and gluten-free.
It turns out that the carrot soup was the creation of Hama Hama Oyster Saloon sous chef Xan Nickerson, and that yes, they would share the recipe. How’d it come about? “I’ve had more disappointing carrot ginger curry soups than I can count,” Nickerson says, further noting that, “Cooked carrots aren’t my favorite.” After initial hesitation, “I just approached with intention,” they explain. “Anything can be good if you handle it well, I think.”
Making a great vegan and gluten-free option here was important to Nickerson, who, ironically for a chef, is vegetarian — outside of work, that is, “As tasting is the most important part of cooking.” They read up on carrot soup recipes and couldn’t find exactly the right one. “I knew I wanted to caramelize the carrots — a hard roast transforming the sugars and starches makes a lot of vegetables I’m not crazy about shine,” Nickerson says. When it came to the main spice element, Hama Hama Oyster Saloon pantry surplus was the impetus of invention: “I’d never used red curry in powder form until I was digging around dry storage trying to land on a flavor profile and found a whole case of it — leftover from what, I don’t know!”
Nickerson’s hard, slow roast dehydrates the carrots and their friends the sweet potatoes (which also act as a thickener), intensifying the sugars and flavors, but it’s hard to do without a convection oven. The recipe below has been adjusted for the standard home stove, with higher heat and a shorter roasting time (and for a manageable-to-make-and-eat quantity — the original called for 6¼ pounds of carrots, 3¾ pounds of sweet potatoes and so forth). Does it attain the same lustrous depth of root vegetable flavor? I’m not sure, but my test batch turned out rich, savory and faintly sweet, with nuanced spice and that same whisper of smokiness. A civilian blender doesn’t get it quite as smooth as an industrial-grade, high-powered restaurant one, but I love this soup so much that I’m eating some cold out of the fridge right now. For breakfast.
If you make this recipe and want to see how it compares — or if you’d rather someone made it for you — they’re serving it at the Hama Hama Oyster Saloon throughout the month of October. And while a summer afternoon out there can be a dream come true, there are roofs and heaters, and bundling up to enjoy winter’s superlative chilled oysters and some absurdly delicious hot soup makes for a different kind of perfect day.
Hama Hama Roasted Carrot Soup
Serves 4 to 6 people
Adapted from the recipe of Hama Hama Oyster Saloon sous chef Xan Nickerson — and also known by them, with lovely alliteration and rhyme, as Roasted Root Red Curry Soup — this is a carrot soup that’s just absurdly good. Note that regular retail, Thai red curry powder can be hard to find — in Seattle, only Big John’s PFI seems to stock it; if you’re ordering online, Nickerson recommends D’allesandro or Spiceology brand (and also Chaokoh for the coconut milk). Another pro tip: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup. For garnish, Nickerson suggests plucked cilantro leaf and a few dots of toasted sesame oil.
2 pounds carrots, washed and sliced thin (about ¼ inch)
1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 small/medium), peeled and sliced thin (about ¼ inch)
Kosher salt
Neutral cooking oil such as canola or grapeseed
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
3 stalks celery, sliced thin
6 cloves minced garlic (about ¼ cup)
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced very thin (about ⅛ inch)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free soup)
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar (or unseasoned plus 1 tablespoon sugar and ¼ teaspoon salt)
1 lime, zested and juiced into the soy sauce/tamari and rice vinegar
About 1½ quarts vegetable stock
1 tablespoon Thai red curry powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
About 1½ 13.5-oz cans coconut milk
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place the carrots and sweet potatoes on a baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt and toss with about ¼ cup oil. Spread out evenly, then roast, rotating the pan and stirring/flipping the veg at 10 minutes, until tender and starting to brown/caramelize, about 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, saute onion, celery, garlic and ginger in about ¼ cup oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, looking to caramelize and brown — they should start to stick. Break the fond (Note: This is chef-speak for what’s sticking to the bottom of the pan), and stir occasionally, making sure the veg doesn’t burn all the way to the bottom but allowing a fair amount of browning.
4. When veg is soft and caramelizing, add tomato paste and reduce heat to low, stirring constantly to coat all the veg evenly; the tomato paste should start to stick significantly. Kill heat, and add soy sauce or tamari/rice vinegar/lime juice mixture, and scrape all fond loose.
5. Add roasted carrots and sweet potatoes to the pot, and add about 1½ quarts vegetable stock to generously cover.
6. Turn heat to high, bring to bubbling, lower heat to low and stir in all the spices.
7. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring often, allowing the root vegetables to soften completely — they should begin to crumble as you stir.
8. Stir in the coconut milk, and continue to simmer for about 15 to 30 minutes. Taste at this point — the soup should be close to ideal salt level, but might need more at the finishing stage — this is just a good time to get a general idea.
9. Blend soup with a hand-blender or carefully in batches in a regular blender until smooth. The consistency when hot should be looser than baby food, but not runny — it should nap to a spoon, but not be grainy or peanut-butter sticky. If it’s too thick, add small increments of reserved veg stock, stirring in thoroughly before adding more. Taste and adjust salt, adding in small increments as needed.
