Healing Carrot, Ginger and Turmeric Soup
This bright orange soup is sure to warm you taste buds and fight off inflammation.
Are you struggling with inflammation? Some of the most common symptoms of inflammation include puffy face, swollen limbs, brain fog, fatigue, sluggishness, anxiety, moodiness, and trouble concentrating.
Getting at the root cause of inflammation might require some detective work from a trained professional, but in the meantime you can start fighting inflammation with the help of a few superfoods: turmeric, ginger, oranges, and carrots.
Recommended Reading: 3 Nutrients You Need to Boost Your Immune System
This carrot, ginger and turmeric soup was created with these key ingredients to help you fight inflammation in one simple meal. It’s also gluten-free and dairy-free and makes a quick and easy batch cooked recipe. You can also double the recipe and freeze leftovers of this soup for up to 3 months. No expensive ingredients or complicated cooking skills are needed!
Nutrition Facts
CURCUMIN
Curcumin is that yellow-colored chemical compound that gives turmeric its bright color. Curcumin is best known for it’s potent anti-inflammatory action and has been effectively used to treat several health conditions including depression, arthritis, ulcerative colitis, non-alcoholic fatty live disease, allergies, high triglycerides and more (1, 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6).
Studies have found that curcumin may help fight major depression through several mechanisms, including those associated with monoaminergic (MAO) activity, immune-inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress pathways, hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and neuroprogression (7).
Keep in mind that turmeric only contains about 3% of absorbable curcumin. You can maximize absorption by pairing turmeric with black pepper. Consider taking a high quality curcumin supplement if you are using turmeric to help treat any of the disease conditions listed above. I recommend the Thorne Meriva product.
GINGER
Ginger’s unique properties have been found to effectively treat nausea and vomiting, dysmenorrhea, morning sickness, and arthritis (8, 9, 10, 11). It may also be helpful in treating diabetes, high blood pressure, IBS, joint pain, and migraines, but more research in these areas needs to be done. Gingerol, shogaol, paradol, and zingerone are therapeutic compounds found in ginger that give this spice it’s health benefits (12).
Ginger is best consumed fresh, (I love to start my day with a lemon ginger shot), but high quality supplements and essential oils are also an option for higher dose ginger treatment.
BETA-CAROTENE
Beta-carotene is the pigment that gives plants their yellow and orange color. When ingested, beta-carotene converts to vitamin A, an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory essential nutrient that protects our cells from damage by free radicals (13).
It’s best to get beta-carotene from food because supplements have a high risk of toxicity. Carrots, spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin, and mango are some of the best sources of beta-carotene. Pair these foods with healthy fats to increase the absorption of beta-carotene.
Recommended Reading: The Ultimate Guide to Fat: the good, the bad, and everything in-between
ORANGES
Oranges are among the best sources of vitamin C, a potent anti-inflammatory compound that is well known for it’s ability to fight free radicals, support immunity, and combat cancer (14). Just one orange gives you more than your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin C. Recent research has also identified several phytonutrients in oranges that have additional healing properties, including citrus flavanones, herperidin, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and a variety of polyphenols.
Most of the phytonutrients in oranges are found in the peel and inner white pulp of the orange, rather than in its liquid orange center. The pulp is a great source of beta-carotene and vitamin C.
The Recipe
HEALING GINGER AND TURMERIC CARROT SOUP
(GF, DF, Vegan friendly*)
Recipe: Gabriella Gavalas
Makes: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground organic turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
1 pound of carrots, pealed and chopped (500g or 7 large carrots)
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups organic vegetable stock or bone broth for additional protein
Zest and juice of 1 orange
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Optional Toppings:
Chopped toasted almonds
Fresh thyme
Coconut yogurt* OR grass-fed organic plain Greek yogurt
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large saucepan, heat a dash of water over medium heat. Add in chopped onion and sauté until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Continue to add some water here and there to avoid sticking, which will help to deglaze the pan and further the caramelization of the onion, without the need of oil. This step is important to allow the full flavor of the onion to develop.
Add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, and orange zest into the onions and continue to sauté the mixture for another 2 minutes.
Then add in the chopped carrots and sauté for 3 more additional minutes, adding small amounts of water if needed.
Move on to adding in the organic vegetable stock, coconut milk, and freshly squeezed orange juice. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer, until the carrots are thoroughly cooked, about 20-25 minutes.
Using a high speed blender, puree the soup in batches and add more salt and ginger if needed.
Reheat back in the saucepan, where you can add in more vegetable stock if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Divide into bowls and top with recommended optional toppings and enjoy!
Notes:
You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week, which makes this recipe great for batch cooking, or freeze for up to 3 months.
You can sub fresh ginger for 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, but I recommended using fresh ginger for the best flavor profile.
You can add 1-2 scoops of collagen powder to this recipe to make it higher in protein.
Let’s us know how you like the recipe in the comments. Tag @allgreatnutrition and @healthnutgab on Instagram and show us your creations!
XO Tamar
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