Turmeric & Ginger Carrot Soup

Congratulations! You made it through January…almost.  Unfortunately here in Minnesota, it’s still bitter cold today and there could possibly be a lot of winter weather left based on how cold it was this morning on my run.  Just 2°F.  To be honest, I am not sure if what the Groundhog predicts on February 2nd holds much truth, but I for one am hoping he doesn’t see his shadow and spring arrives early.

Plus there sure is a lot of nasty cold going around.  In fact my husband woke up yesterday with a terrible sore throat.  OH OH!  I haven’t caught it yet but trust me, doing everything possible to stay healthy including, taking more of this stuff.  Works like a charm!

In all honestly, I don’t get sick much.  I guess that eating healthy, exercising, and taking the worlds most natural supplements helps keep my body in good working order and makes it easier to fight diseases.
However, when the love of my life starts to feel sick and we happen to sleep together, I start to get a bit concerned.

Truth be told, I’d rather get a cold than the stomach flue, but neither one is any fun!  I not only hate feeling like crap, but missing my morning running routine is the part I really don’t like!

So in attempt to not get sick, I decided to make some foods to help increase my immune system.  Did you know that Turmeric and ginger are amazing spices that boost your immune system.  Plus they’re anti-inflammatory!  SO athletes put away your Advil, Tylenol, or other drugs prescribed for inflammation and try your best to get a shot of turmeric and ginger in every day.  Taken regularly, you’ll get the same relief plus check out the tantalizing color Turmeric adds to your food!

I never get tired of soup, and since winter just may stick around for a bit longer, I decided to whip up this flavorful but simple carrot soup which has a ton of health benefits. I made this in my Instant Pot, similar to this one, but you can easily make this stove-top.

You’ll want to double the recipe and make a huge pot and eat this for lunch all week because it’s that good!   If you serve it with brown rice or quinoa, you’ll have more of a complete and filling meal in one bowl.  Who doesn’t love that!

I topped mine with Greek yogurt adding a bit more protein to my all ready healthy meal.  If you like bacon, fry it up till it’s crisp and bon appetite.  The topping choices are endless so I’ll let you tell me what you top your carrot soup with.

TURMERIC & GINGER ROASTED CARROT SOUP 

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ lb organic rainbow carrots, diced (and roasted optional)
•  1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• ½-1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Pink Himalayan sea salt
• A pinch of red pepper flakes
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 4 cups of bone broth or vegetable broth
• Greek yogurt (or full fat coconut milk or sour cream or crispy bacon or cheese, etc)
• Chopped fresh parsley or your favorite herb

DIRECTIONS:

1. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté (or heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat). Add onion and sauté for about 4 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, turmeric and salt and sauté for 2 minutes or until the spices are nice and fragrant.
2. Either add your carrots now or roast them in advance with a olive oil, salt, and pepper at 400 for 20 minutes.  Add the roasted carrots and sauté for 3 minutes. Turn Instant Pot to off.
3. Pour in your stock, cover, set Instant Pot manually to 25 minutes.  If using stove top, add stock and bring to boil. Simmer until carrots are cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Use your Immersion blender to puree soup.  Or use your blender and puree in batches.
5. Divide soup between bowls and place a dollop of Greek yogurt (or topping of choice) in the center of each. Top with chopped herbs and a pinch of additional salt and freshly ground pepper if desired.
6. Serve with brown rice or quinoa to make a complete one-bowl meal.

[reminder]Do you use Turmeric on a regular basis? Have you ever tried Turmeric in a smoothie? Do you like or dislike Indian Food/Curries?[/reminder]