Carrot and Macadamia soup with Croutons and Chorizo Garnish

Ingredients:

• 1 kg carrots
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 6 cups chicken stock (or 6 cups water and 2 stock cubes)
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons Nutcellars macadamia butter
• 2 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 5 slices of chorizo, cut into 1 cm pieces

Method:

1. Clean, peel and cut all vegetables into chunks.
2. Place the cumin seeds in a pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.
3. Heat oil in large pot. Saute carrots, onions, potato and cumin for about 5 minutes. Add stock and macadamia to the soup. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are well cooked.
4. Using an immersible blender, blend until quite smooth.
5. Add salt and freshly-ground pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. If soup is too thick, additional water may be added.
6. To make the garnish, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a pan and lightly fry together with the chorizo.
7. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the croutons and chorizo. Sprinkle with some fresh thyme if you have any!