Immunity-Boosting Carrot Turmeric Soup

A bowl of this comforting, brightly colored carrot turmeric soup will fill you up and give your immune system a boost!

Although technically we’ve now entered into spring, in most parts of the country, the weather hasn’t quite caught up to the calendar yet. Even here in South Florida, we’ve been experiencing a bit of a cold front- I had to put away my flip flops and pull out my winter boots this week!

So when I heard that this month’s Recipe Redux theme was “Spring Clean the Kitchen,” I decided that I wanted to make a soup. I mean, is there anything more comforting than a hot bowl of soup in this weather? We were challenged to make a healthy dish out of whatever ingredients we have on hand in our pantry or fridge. It turns out that many of the ingredients I stock in my kitchen were not only perfect to make a delicious soup, they also have immunity-boosting properties- just the right remedy to chase away the last days of cold and flu season.

Even in bright, sunny Florida, I’ve been treating lots of patients in the ER with upper respiratory tract infections and the flu. Simple healthy habits like washing your hands often, being physically active, getting enough sleep, and eating the right foods can help boost your immune system naturally. Many foods have properties to help supercharge your immune system and keep you staying healthy- and you don’t have to look much farther than your kitchen cabinet!

So what ingredients did I use in my Immunity-Boosting Carrot Turmeric Soup that I already had in my pantry or fridge? Pretty much everything in this recipe! I always have coconut oil, sunflower seeds, vegetable or chicken broth, garlic and dried spices like turmeric in my pantry. And I also stock my fridge with carrots, orange juice and yogurt because those are my daughter’s favorites.

Here’s a closer look at some of the ingredients that I used:

• Turmeric
  • There’s good reason turmeric has become one of the hottest ingredients in the culinary and nutrition world recently! Turmeric is an ancient spice long prized for its culinary uses as well as its medicinal properties and is probably best known for giving curry powder its bright yellow color. Turmeric’s main active ingredient is curcumin, a substance that has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, helping to boost immunity. It also has antibacterial, antifungal and even anti-carcinogenic properties. Turmeric is fat soluble so to increase its absorption and health benefits, it should be consumed with a little fat (hence cooking the turmeric in coconut oil in this recipe). You should also enjoy turmeric with black pepper, which contains a substance called piperine that enhances its bioavailability.

• Carrots
  • Carrots are a rich source of beta carotene, which gives them their bright, orange color. Beta carotene gets converted to Vitamin A in the body and is essential for immune health, vision, healthy skin, growth and reproduction.

• Garlic
  • Garlic has sulfur-containing compounds such as allicin, which have antiviral properties.

• Ginger
  • Ginger has antiviral properties and also helps to ease digestive woes like nausea.

• Coconut Oil
  • Coconut oil contains a compound called lauric acid, which has been shown to enhance immunity in addition to many other health benefits. It also has antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

• Greek yogurt
  • Greek yogurt is packed with probiotics, which help balance the good and bad bacteria in your gut. This is where 70% of your immune system lives so keeping your gut in working order is essential for good health! Yogurt is also a good source of Vitamin D, which helps regulate the immune system.

• Orange juice
  • Orange juice is packed with good old Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that’s one of the biggest immune system boosters of all.

• Sunflower seeds
  • Sunflower seeds are full of nutrients, including high amounts of vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that boosts the immune system to help fight off invading bacteria and viruses.

Not only is this Immunity-Boosting Carrot Turmeric Soup packed with flavor and nutrients, it’s also super easy to make! Simply get all of your ingredients into a pot and let them simmer away. Then, after a short while, puree it and serve. If you have an immersion blender it makes life easier because you can blend the soup in the pot without having to pull your blender out of the cabinet. Plus, it means fewer dishes, which is never a bad thing!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Immunity-Boosting Carrot Turmeric Soup

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: The Foodie Physician

Recipe type: Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1½ tablespoons coconut or olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1½ teaspoons turmeric
• 1½ pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups reduced sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Optional garnishes: Greek yogurt, cilantro leaves, sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and turmeric and cook for another minute until fragrant. Add the carrots and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cover the pot. Cook until carrots are tender, about 25 minutes. Stir in the orange juice, salt and pepper.
2. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can puree the soup in a blender. To serve, ladle the soup into four bowls and top each with garnishes like Greek yogurt, cilantro, and sunflower seeds.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: One Calories: 158 Fat: 5.3g Saturated fat: 4.6g Carbohydrates: 26.2g Sugar: 13.5g Sodium: 544mg Fiber: 6.6g Protein: 2.3g

3.5.3218

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