When I looked back on my meal calendars, I noticed that this soup was always in heavy rotation January-March. At first thought, it made total sense. January = lighter “reset” meals, February = cold month and warm soups, March = signs of spring (at least here in Northern California!) and my mind immediately goes to baby carrots straight from the ground and Easter bunnies. Most of this makes no sense because the soup is perfect year-round, it doesn’t really get that cold here and carrots are planted and harvested nearly year-round in this state. This is the year I start eating this healthy and delicious soup beyond March. Being bold in 2021!
When I worked at Flea Street Cafe as part of my internship in culinary school, I made so much soup I could do it in my sleep. I was tasked with making 16 quarts of the seasonal soup several times a week. Different seasonal vegetables, but always vegan. So, I learned a few things about the foundations of a good creamy soup, with no cream. One of the secrets is to saute a lot of onions in a good amount of olive oil, with a good amount of kosher salt and for a good amount of time. Very professional terms here. But, it makes all the difference for vegan soups. Coconut milk was often an ingredient and a high speed blender was always used.
Since then, at home I’ve made cauliflower soup, broccoli soup, carrot soup and butternut squash soup all the same way. You would never be able to tell there’s no dairy milk in these soups – so healthy and so yummy. I love to keep a small batch of soup like this one in the refrigerator for a quick lunch to go with avocado toast or a chicken salad.
I hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Cheers,
Christina
Carrot Soup with Turmeric, Ginger and Lemon
This healthy soup makes me feel like I'm at the spa – it's nourishing, comforting and full of nutritious anti-inflammatory, immune supporting ingredients. It's vegan if you skip the chicken broth, but I love getting a chance to use my homemade collagen-rich bone broth in this soup.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups thinly sliced onions about 2 onions
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper I often add a bit more
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1½ lbs carrots, sliced about 6 large carrots
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 cups broth, divided I typically use homemade chicken bone broth but low-sodium vegetable broth is a great option
- ½-⅔ cup unsweetened canned coconut milk
- 2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- optional garnish: shredded carrot sauteed in olive oil, Aleppo pepper and coarse salt smoked Maldon is particularly delicious in this dish
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low. Add sliced onions and salt and cook until onions are very translucent, about 20 minutes.
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Add ginger, garlic, cayenne and turmeric. Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Add carrots, lemon zest and 3 cups of the stock. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and partially cover the pot, simmering until the carrots are very tender.
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Take the pot off the heat and add the remaining cup of stock. Add ½ cup of the coconut milk.
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Puree the soup in batches in the blender, taking care to only fill halfway with the hot liquid. Add additional coconut milk to achieve the desired consistency.
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Return soup to pot, add lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Reheat over low before serving. Garnish with shredded carrot, Aleppo pepper and coarse salt.
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