Creamy Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup
a bright, creamy and flavorful soup that will warm you up on the coldest of days and chase away the winter blues!
. . .
loaded with all the goodness, which makes it perfect for flu & colds season!
Carrots and ginger … a love-match made in vegetable heaven! The combination between the sweet caramel notes from the roasted carrots and the slight spiciness from the ginger is something else.
Carrot is a root vegetable often claimed to be the perfect health food. They are the perfect snack - crunchy, full of nutrients, low in calories, and sweet. Carrots are associated with heart and eye health, improved digestion, and even weight loss (who said fiber?!). This root vegetable comes in several colors, sizes, and shapes, all of which are great additions to a healthy diet. {source}
Ginger is a flowering plant that originated in Southeast Asia. It’s among the healthiest (and most delicious) spices on the planet. It is high in gingerol, a substance with powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It can help prevent various types of nausea, it has been shown to lower blood sugar levels and improve various heart disease risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes, and it appears to speed up emptying of the stomach, which can be beneficial for people with indigestion and related stomach discomfort. Ginger appears to be very effective against menstrual pain as well when taken at the beginning of the menstrual period. {source}
Celery is a marshland plant that comes from the same family as carrots and parsley. It has long, firm, pale green fibrous stalks and grows in bunches. It is a great source of important antioxidants and contains compounds that can offer protection against inflammation in the body, as well as support a healthy digestive tract. In addition to its many health benefits, celery is a versatile veggie. You can eat it raw or cooked, and it makes a great addition to smoothies, stir-fries, soups, and juices. {source}
This bright and delicious soup is loaded with so much goodness that will warm up your heart while fighting off any and all sorts of winter blues, colds and viruses!
needed ingredients
preparation details
Start by preheating your oven to 400F/ 200C and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper.
A little bit of unsolicited advice - try to cook multiple things at the same time, such as meal prep ingredients that you may need for the following days - like roasting seasoned sweet potatoes (they make for a perfect snack), curried cauliflower (goes really well with roasted sweet potatoes, some greens and lentils in a salad bowl), leeks & pumpkin (hello, creamy pumpkin soup!), etc. You get my point, you can roast things that do not need much attention when roasting, but are good to have on hand to help you whip-up lunch or dinner in no time. Doing this will help you save a bit on electricity and will definitely make your life easier when you are pressed for time and want a wholesome home-cooked meal.
The next step is to soak the cashews or if you are like me and never remember this step, just bring them to a boil and let them simmer for 10 min., then let soak for a bit, rinse in cold water and they are ready to use as needed.
Once the oven has heated up, roast the carrots for 20-25 min., until they start to get some color on them.
Oh, and another thing, I do not peel my carrots … I know some people may find this weird, but once I realized that the peel has the highest concentration of nutrients, I stopped peeling them! I try to buy carrots from the farmer’s market or organic from the store and just scrub them really well to make sure there is no dirt on them.
While the carrots are roasting, prepare all your other veggies for the soup - chop the onions and celery, then mince the ginger and garlic.
Place a pot over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil and saute the onions, ginger and celery for 5-10 min., until they start sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes, after which the pot will need to be deglazed - I like to use a bit of white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot because I feel like it adds a bit of extra flavor, but if you do not like to use wine, use vegetable broth or water instead.
After deglazing the aromatics, add the spices and cook for another minute to release their aromas.
Add the roasted carrots, vegetable broth, water to the pot and mix well. Let the soup come to a boil and then let simmer for 20 min.
While the soup is simmering, drain the soaked cashews (if still hot, run them through cold water), place in a blender along with 1 Tbsp of miso and the soya milk. Blend until it becomes completely smooth with texture like heavy cream, about 1 min.
Add the cashew cream to the soup once the 20 min. have passed and let simmer for another 5 min. Blend with a hand blender or in a high-speed blender until it reaches the desired consistency.
Serve garnished with some fresh cilantro, a scoop of spicy relish (or a bit of red pepper flakes; keep in mind that the soup will be a bit spicy from the ginger), a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil and some black cumin seeds*.
The soup also freezes well, so can become a super-fast weekday dinner for the days when you just do not want to deal with cooking for dinner, but want something hearty and warm.
* According to studies, daily consumption of Black cumin, also known as Nigella sativa, have been linked to improving cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and blood sugar control, as well as accelerate the loss of body fat (link for source). Black cumin is not in the same family as cumin and it has a mild peppery flavor - sort of a combination between black pepper, cumin and onion. I typically add it to soups, salads, on top of avocado toasts and pretty much anywhere I can because it is simply delicious.
recipe
Creamy Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup
A bright, creamy and flavorful soup that will warm you up on the coldest of days and chase away the winter blues! Loaded with all the goodness, this soup is perfect for flu & colds season!
{vegetarian & vegan friendly}
Author: The Kitchen Plot
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 45 min.
Overall Time: 60 min.
Serves: 4
Perfect for: lunch, dinner
Keeps for: fridge - 3 days
freezer - 1 month
Ingredients:
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 lbs / 500 g carrots, well washed & roughly chopped
3 yellow onions, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 large piece ginger (around 5 in./ 10 cm), minced or grated
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups homemade vegetable broth or store-bought
2 cups water
1 cup soya milk
1 tsp miso paste
a few sprigs cilantro, chopped, for garnishing
black cumin, for garnishing
a few drops toasted sesame oil, for garnish
red pepper flakes, for garnishing (omit if not a fan of spicy)
Method:
Preheat oven to 400F/ 200C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the cashews in a pot with water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, then turn down and let simmer for 10 min. Let them soak and once ready to use, rinse in cold water.
Place the carrots on the lined baking sheet, add 1 Tbsp of the olive oil along with 1/2 tsp of salt and some black pepper, then roast for 20-25 min., until they start to slightly brown. Set aside to cool.
While the carrots are roasting, place the diced onions, celery and ginger in a large pot over medium heat along with the other 1 Tbsp of oil and saute for 5-10 min., stirring occasionally, until they start sticking slightly to the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, after which add a splash of white wine to deglaze, or if you do not want to use wine, use vegetable stock or water. Then add the spices through black pepper, stir well and cook for one more minute.
Add the vegetable stock and water, mix well and let come to a boil, then let simmer for 20 min.
While the soup is cooking, drain the cashews (rinse with cold water if still too hot), place them in a blender along with the soya milk (or whatever other plant-based milk you have, just make sure it has no added sugar), the miso paste and blend until smooth; it should have the consistency of heavy cream.
Add cashew cream to the soup and let simmer for another 5 min., then blend with a hand blender or in a high-speed blender until desired consistency.
Serve the soup garnished with cilantro, black cumin seeds, a drizzle of toasted sesame seed oil and spicy relish or red pepper flakes.
The soup tastes even better the next day when the flavor of the spices has been fully absorbed.
It keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, but it is also great for storing in the freezer for a quick weekday dinner!
Bon appetit!
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