Integrative Nutrition Recipes

This sweet and spicy carrot, ginger, and coconut soup is a crowd pleaser bursting with color and flavor. Simple and easy to make, you can whip up this delicious immune-boosting lunch in no time at all!

Hot soups aren’t only for the cold winter months. Even though it’s sunny outside, soup can stay on the menu as a light and nutritious lunch or dinner option. Soup is such an easy way to get those extra veggie portions, and is super simple and affordable to make yourself (we all know homemade soup tastes so much better than shop bought soup anyway). If you make a big batch at the start of the week, you’ve got it on hand for quick lunches throughout the week or even portions you can freeze for longer-term storage.  There’s nothing better than coming home from a really busy day when cooking is the last thing you feel like doing and finding a tub of delicious, healthy soup waiting for you in the freezer. It’s also nice to grab a mugful if you’re feeling peckish during the day.

There are three main stars of the show here:  carrot, ginger and coconut. The carrots provide the sweetness and color, and because their full of fiber this soup is incredibly filling. They’re also a top source of vitamin A, which is great for your skin. The coconut milk and ginger give it a Thai vibe, as well as both being natural boosters for your immune system. Coconut milk is such an easy way to turn any left over vegetable into a delicious soup – adding a fragrant, woody flavor and creating that velvety texture.  The ginger and chili add the heat and you can really include as much or as little of each of these as you like.

For this recipe vegetable stock as the base but you can opt for nutritious bone broth (sometimes a little tricky to get hold of) or use traditional chicken broth.  A teaspoonful of miso paste dissolved in boiling water also works really well and complements the Asian flavors.

Ginger, Carrot, and Coconut Soup

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 large white onion, roughly chopped

10-12oz carrots, peeled and sliced

4 cloves of garlic

2 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and sliced

1 red chili, seeded and chopped

1 can coconut milk

14oz stock – bone broth, chicken, or vegetable stock

1 tsp cayenne pepper

pinch of salt and pepper to taste

a few cilantro or basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1.  Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onions, garlic and ginger.  Stir for about 3-4 minutes until the onions have softened.  
2. Add the carrots, chili, and cayenne pepper, give it a quick stir, and allow the flavors to come out while you prepare the liquid ingredients.
3. Shake the can of coconut milk and add to the pan, along with your choice of stock.
4. Stir well and bring to the boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
5. Simmer for around 20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft.
6. Using a hand blender, blend the soup until you get the desired creamy consistency.
7. Season to taste, and serve with a few cilantro or basil leaves.  You could also save a few pieces of chopped red chili for decoration.  If it’s a little to hot, you can also add a dollop of sour cream to serve.

Recipe Notes:

• Serve in a bowl with a sprig of cilantro or basil to add a further burst of color to the dish. You could also decorate with a sprinkling of chia seeds or pumpkin seeds.
• This is a filling soup that stands up on its own, but some oat bread would be a delicious accompaniment if you’re looking for a little something more.
• Low on carrots?  No problem, just swap in a head of broccoli for a green alternative!

Integrative Nutrition is the world’s largest nutrition school and Health Coach Training Program. Through our innovative, one-year online course, students learn the principles of health coaching, business skills, and over 100 different dietary theories with lectures by the world’s leading experts.