Recipe: $4.60 | Per Serving: $1.15 | Yield: ~4
If you have never made carrot-ginger soup, you are MISSING OUT. Of all the vegan soups this week, I think this one might just be my fave. It's so stinkin' easy and the flavor is...top notch.
This recipe is tweaked (with encouragement) from a very basic Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup by Chef MB Hamel, which we made in my first cooking class almost a year ago. I am partial to a little more ginger and a little more lemon, and the addition of turmeric and black pepper is so money.
Oh, and those roasted pumpkin seeds? DO IT. You can definitely modify it as desired, maybe by adding ½ cup coconut milk for the ultimate dreamy creamy texture, or by substituting some of the carrots for parsnips.
Can we talk about the benefits of turmeric for a quick sec?
I think many of us in the blogging world know about turmeric's lovely anti-inflammatory effects, but I only recently-ish learned in my nutrition program that if you consume turmeric with black pepper, you can increase turmeric's absorption by something like 2000%. Taken together, and with a hefty dose of ginger, they're like an anti-inflammatory dream team!
Turmeric is often used in herbal and Ayurvedic healing, and it can be taken daily to manage pain and inflammation. The recommended dose for therapeutic effects is something like 2 teaspoons per day, so feel free to load up your meals!
(Please note: turmeric is also great at lowering blood pressure so be sure to consult with your doctor if you're on any medications prior to taking supplemental turmeric or vastly increasing your intake.)
Toasted Pepitas!!
Also, let me tell you what's the most fun about these pepitas: texture. flavor. spice. I just drizzled them with a little olive oil, and sprinkled some cayenne, garlic powder, salt, and pepper on them, then toasted them in my toaster oven on 400ºF for about 3 minutes. LOVE.
Nutritionally, please note that ¼ cup of pepitas brings you about 16% of your daily iron, which is great if you're vegan and struggling to meet your daily iron needs. BUT, you can't really absorb plant-based iron without vitamin C, so make sure you add that lemon juice to the soup to increase absorption.
Finally, if you weren't yet convinced to love pumpkin seeds / pepitas, ¼ cup of pepitas contains almost 50% of your daily magnesium needs - and magnesium deficiency is one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in the U.S., so get on it!
Some other creamy dreamy vegan soups from around the web:
- Golden Soup (Pinch of Yum)
- Curried Acorn Squash Soup (One Clever Chef) - be sure to use coconut oil and vegetable broth for vegan
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk (Evolving Table)
Pin this Creamy Carrot-Ginger Soup recipe!
Vegetarian: Yep! (vegan)
Paleo: Yep! <-- hashtag paleovegan bitches.
Creamy Carrot-Ginger-Turmeric Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 2 medium-large onions
- 2 pounds carrots organic if feasible
- 2 Tablespoons grated or minced fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 5 cups vegetable broth or any
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pepitas
- ⅓ cup pepitas + olive oil + sprinkling of seasonings of choice, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, pepper
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and stir. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the lemon juice and the pepitas - ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, black pepper, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, vegetable broth - and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice and immediately blend the soup either using an immersion blender or in batches in your regular blender. (You will likely need another soup / container for this step.)
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Garnish with roasted pepitas!! (See below.)
- For the Pepitas: drizzle the pepitas with olive oil, then sprinkle with seasonings of choice - I used a little cayenne, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper - then roast on 400ºF for about 3-5 minutes. I usually use my toaster oven for these types of tasks so I can keep a close eye on the seeds. Watch them like a hawk around the 3-minute mark to ensure they don't burn.