Boost immunity with carrot apple ginger soup

Angela Liddon

Who says we should only eat bland-looking food during the colder months? Sometimes a bright pop of colour is just what the doctor ordered. Healthy and flavourful, this carrot soup adds a burst of sunshine on those dreary, cloudy days.

Not only is this soup packed with vitamins and antioxidants, but ginger and garlic are also great herbs for relieving cold and flu symptoms. Use it as a way to prevent colds, or for a quick boost in health and vitality when you’re already feeling run down.

This soup reheats very well, so it makes an easy portable lunch to bring to work. I like to pair it with a whole-grain bun slathered in hummus for a kick of protein. You can also try making a big batch and freezing it for a cold winter day.

Carrot apple ginger soup

Gluten-free and vegan! When you can’t go on a tropical vacation, this cheerful soup is the next best thing. The fresh ginger adds a kick of spice without overpowering the other flavours. Add an apple (Jonagold and Granny Smith apples work nicely, but any variety will do) for a light sweetness to balance it all out.

Recipe lightly adapted from Joy The Baker.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + more for garnish
1 small onion, diced (~1 cup diced onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 large apple, peeled & chopped
1.5 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped (~5 cups)
4 cups vegetable broth
pinch of nutmeg
Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
 
Directions:
1. In a large pot, add 1 tbsp olive oil over low-medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for another couple minutes on low. Add chopped apple and carrots and cook for a few minutes more.

2. Add the vegetable broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered, or until tender.

3. Carefully transfer half of the soup into a blender (or you can use an immersion blender), add a pinch of nutmeg, and blend until smooth making sure to allow steam to escape through the lid. Remove blended soup and set aside. Now add the other half and blend again. Be careful as it’s very hot.

4. Place soup back in the pot and season with salt and pepper until to taste. You can thin the soup out a bit with more broth if desired. Serve and garnish with freshly ground pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. It goes lovely with fresh bread and Earth Balance or hummus.
Yield: ~5 cups

Angela Liddon is the creator of Oh She Glows, a popular healthy vegan recipe website receiving over 1.6 million page views a month, and one of Chatelaine's Women of the Year 2011. Angela’s passion for healthy vegan food is contagious and she’s eager to show others that vegan (and often gluten-free) food can blow your taste buds away.