Mirepoix/carrot substitute?

[gwynne2]

I have a cheese soup I'd like to try adapting to lowcarb (Alton Brown's cheese soup recipe, which can be found here (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28890,00.html) ). (Obviously I'd be leaving out the flour, although I haven't figured out how to thicken it otherwise yet).

My main question is: what is a good lowcarb substitute for carrots in the traditional 'mirepoix' flavor base of celery/carrot/onion?

(I did try some searches on this forum but came up empty.)

Thanks in advance.

[gwynne2]

Or are carrots just not considered as bad anymore? (Still looking into it, but mostly finding anecdotal stuff...will try some more forum searches).

[JAnn]

One cup of carrots has 8.7 net carbs, which would be 2.3 per bowl. And the onion is 13.94 or 4.5 per bowl for a total of 6.9. If your past induction and can afford the carbs then go for it.

[IslandGirl]

I don't worry about that little bit of carrot, or sometimes I just cut it in half anyway (I don't like a sweet stock/base).

Couple of other points for you, DO check our our existing recipe 'database' in the main recipe section, and consider slightly less stock (cheese does a lot of thickening), more cream (ditto), or pureed cauliflower for soup thickening. Then progress (if you choose) to the vegetable gums (xanthan, guar, ExpertFoods ThickenThin not/Starch) with previous cooks' experience in mind (LOTS less needed than starch).

Finally, here's my LC mantra for the thickening conundrum in cream sauces and soups...it's a new way of looking at an old substitute ;) : why bother replacing a cheap substitute? flour-based white sauces and roux(s) were and are low cost replacements for the original creamy base -- which is cream!

Welcome to the new culinary paradigm! :wave:

[GlendaRC]

Finally, here's my LC mantra for the thickening conundrum in cream sauces and soups...it's a new way of looking at an old substitute ;) : why bother replacing a cheap substitute? flour-based white sauces and roux(s) were and are low cost replacements for the original creamy base -- which is cream!

Welcome to the new culinary paradigm! :wave:

Is that right??!!!! Am I understanding that flour to thicken sauces was a "cheat" to replace cream in the original recipes????? There MUST have been something added to the cream to help with thickening ... wasn't there???

Glenda

[JAnn]

I cannot have anything with gluten in it so I always ask if a restaurant thickens their soup with flour. Cheaper restaurants thicken with flour, restaurants that really take pride in their food thicken by simmering the soup until the liquid is reduced, usually by half. It costs me a little more at these restaurants but the food is usually delicious!

[gwynne2]

Well, I was going to decrease the onion and carrot quantities anyway, I just thought there was something inherently evil about carrots.

As for thickening, I saw some xanthan gum at WF and it was like $14, wasn't ready to make that big a committment. ;) I'm all about thickening with cream, though.

[IslandGirl]

...As for thickening, I saw some xanthan gum at WF and it was like $14, wasn't ready to make that big a committment. ;) I'm all about thickening with cream, though.

That 14.00 will probably be a couple of years' worth of thickening power...just a little goes a long long way to just boost thickening a tiny bit
and it's all soluble fiber...that being said, if and when you want to experiment, go for it and give it a try.

If you make a lovely new variation on an excellent soup, please DO post it in our recipe section, we love new recipes....

:wave:

[IslandGirl]

Is that right??!!!! Am I understanding that flour to thicken sauces was a "cheat" to replace cream in the original recipes????? There MUST have been something added to the cream to help with thickening ... wasn't there???

Glenda

S'Truth, Glenda! Nope, most flour thickened 'soups' are actually way over thickened, the flour covering up the lack of body from a good stock and a reduction...we've just gotten used to 'cream' soups being thick, being the 'norm', like "we" got used to white flour and white sugar being, well, cheap and therefore everywhere in the "everyman" diet.

I blame corporate agriculture for the change in the food culture, me! :lol:

:wave:

[gwynne2]

IslandGirl, I wanted to let you know I did end up springing for the xanthan gum (found it for $10 at Kroger).

And whoa! this stuff is pretty powerful. I couldn't immediately find a conversion chart for using it as a thickener, and I think 1.5 tsp was a little too much for this soup. :)

I don't have a firm recipe nailed down, but I made the soup linked above with a few subtitutions...

1) xanthan gum for thickening, not flour

2) heavy cream cut by half after realizing I'd used too much xanthan gum. :)

3) carrot reduced to 2oz

4) onion reduced to 2oz

5) half a zucchini thrown into the mire poix base instead

6) no wine

8oz instead of 10oz cheese...again, it was so nice and thick already (especially after I hit it with my new immersion blender), and had a good body/background flavor, that I didn't think it needed the whole nine yards.

[IslandGirl]

You are on a roll! That sounds wonderful. I really must get me a newer, bad-der immersion blender soon, my old old tired small motored Moulinex just isn't cutting the mustard anymore...

I wasn't kidding, was I, when I said a little goes a long long way?

:wave:

[gwynne2]

I find it's also nice when turning sauteed zucchini into faux warm apples, gives them a nice gooeyness reminiscent of real pie filling. :)