Spice up your life

Ahh… January with your cold, dark days you do seem to have us hankering for the hot, steamy days of summer. Having said that, you do incent me to ramp up my desire for soulful and healthy soups.

I love my carrot ginger soup that not only has a nice zing to it but also is very healthy.   With carrots and ginger as the cornerstone ingredients for this soup did you know their respective health benefits?

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Here are some fun facts about the health benefits of carrots (one of my favourite vegetable raw and cooked)  courtesy of Medical News Today :

• They were first grown in Asia and were in fact not orange (hmmm….)

• They are chock-a-block full of antioxidants that are said to ward off a number of cancers (check their website for some great details!)

• Your momma may have told you ‘eat your carrots- they’ll help you see in the dark’ and she may not have been too far off the mark as they are rich in vitamin A. A deficiency in vitamin A may lead to xerophthalmia that is a degenerative eye disease. The deficiency may result in damaged vision and more prominently so with night vision.

And ginger….well I must admit I love it and use it wherever I can. It also has some amazing health benefits:

• It has tremendous anti-inflammatory elements and as a result is great to reduce muscle pain due to exercise. Likewise, with the anti-inflammatory benefits, it is helpful in soothing joint pain and stiffness.

• Ginger also is a powerful antioxidant.

• It is effective in treating nausea and digestive discomfort

• Ginger may reduce cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels

There are so many wonderful benefits with ginger that is can truly be deemed a legitimate ‘super food’.  ( and who cannot love that gorgeous flavour that has so much personality?).   For more information check out the details at Healthline.

And so with all this goodness, I share with you another one of my comfort food soups. I always make a big batch: have some the day/week of preparing and then I freeze in large glass mason jars for upcoming weeks.

It’s a great recipe that you can tailor to your preferences of spice, texture and creaminess….adjust how you like!

Oh…and did I mention: it’s oh so good for you!!

xo – Sandra

Spicy Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. carrots, peeled and chopped into 1” chunks
• 2 onions, peeled and chopped into large chunks
• 3 T peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 4 large garlic cloves – halved
• 4- 5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option) amount depending on how thick you like your soup
• 1 cup white wine (or white cooking wine)
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Salt and white pepper
• Sour cream (upon serving)
• Tortilla chips/slice of baguette/shredded cheese or fresh chopped parsley (for garnish)

Take the carrots, garlic, onion and ginger and put in a large shallow baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper liberally.

Roast in a 375-degree oven for 1 hour

Allow to cool slightly.

This next part should be done in batches: transfer the roasted carrot etc. into a blender.   Add 2 cups of chicken stock. Make sure that you do not fill more than ¾ of the blender, as you do not want overflow and/or potential warm liquids coming out. Blend well until pureed to a creamy smoothness.   Transfer to a large pot.   Continue until all veg is pureed and in the pot.

Add the 1 cup white wine and simmer for about 30 minutes.

For those of you who like a little more zing to your soup, you can add ½ tsp. of cumin or coriander.

Add 1-cup cream stirring frequently on reduced heat.

When all the flavours have blended nicely, ladle out into bowls add a dollop of sour cream and garnish of your choice (crushed tortilla shells/ baguette, chopped parsley or garnish of choice) and enjoy!

Photo credits:

www.natureandnutrition.com

www.littlespicejar.com