Carrot Ginger Soup

Carrot and ginger combination is made in heaven; and both offer a wealth of health benefits. But a dose of nutrition is not the only reason to make this carrot ginger soup, its taste is likely to please even the most difficult carrot eaters.

You probably remember your mom (or grandma or doctor) telling your to eat carrots to protect your eyesight. But carrot is also a friend in protecting us from a host of other short-term and long-term (chronic) diseases as carrots are one of the greatest natural sources of betacarotene (antioxidant) and carotenoid (phytochemical). While another blog post is needed to expand on the health benefits of carrots, antioxidants and phytochemical in carrots help build immunity and prevent certain types of cancers and heart disease (more on this later). Similarly, ginger is shown to have a host of health-boosting benefits such as  building immunity and preventing infections. Therefore, this carrot ginger soup also works as a preventive or restorative food in this flu season.

This carrot ginger soup, unlike most other soups, takes only 30 minutes of active cooking time. I usually don't make pure vegetable soups for more than one occasion as nutrients in vegetables tend to quickly deteriorate after cooking (more on this later). Enjoy with a bean salad or tofu stir-fry or hummus-topped garlic toast!

Carrot Ginger Soup

Author: Traffic Light Cook

This yummy lemony carrot ginger soup is a perfect food for lunch or dinner during winter and works as a preventive or restorative food in this flu season. 

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine Gluten-free, Vegan

Servings 5

Calories 110 kcal

Ingredients

  

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• 1 tsp avocado oil (or any other)
• 1 lb carrots (roughly chopped, about 8-10 medium-size carrots)
• 1 cup onion (roughly chopped, about 1 medium-size onion)
• 2 tsp ginger (grated)
• 2 tsp lemon zest* (about one lemon)
• 2 tbsp golden raisins (or any other variety)
• 3/4 tsp sea salt (or any other kind)
• 4 1/4 cups homemade vegetable broth (or any low-sodium vegetable broth)
• 2 tbsp almonds (slivered and toasted, optional)

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). Roughly chopped carrots and onion and add to a baking dish** in a single layer. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable broth and 1/4 tsp salt to the veggies. Mix with hand to evenly coat the vegetables. Roast*** in a pre-heated oven for 45-60 minutes. 
  
• In a heavy-bottom soup pot, heat 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add ginger and stir and let it cook for 10 seconds in the oil. Add oven-roasted carrots and onions, 1/2 tsp of salt, 4 cups of vegetable broth, lemon zest, and golden raisins. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat (about 10-12 minutes) and let is cook for another 10 minutes. 
• Take soup off the stove and let it cool completely. Puree soup in a blender. Check to make sure there are no annoying no veggie bits left in the soup. Lightly toast almonds in a toaster or over stovetop in a heavy-bottom skillet. Enjoy with a bean salad!

Notes

*If you like your soup to be more lemony--add additional 1-2 tsp of lemon zest

**baking dish should be big enough to hold carrots and onions in roughly single layer. If the baking dish is smaller, you may need to turn the veggies a couple of times for even baking. I used 9"x15" baking dish. 

***you can also roast vegetables on stovetop in a wide-mouth, heavy- bottom pan on low-medium heat. An alternative to roasting is steaming vegetables. 

Serving size: if you are having as a main dish, this soup serves 4; as a side dish serves 6. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 110kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSodium: 360mgPotassium: 409mgFiber: 3gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 15500IUVitamin C: 9.1mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 0.5mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!