carrot ginger soup, a smooth warming bowl with coconut milk

Some days chewing through a full plate is more than your body wants to do. Listen to that instead of pushing past it. A soup you can sip meets you exactly where you are today.

Carrots are dense with beta-carotene, and your body turns that into vitamin A, a nutrient your gut lining and the immune tissue around it lean on to stay in good repair. Fresh ginger has been used for centuries to settle an unsettled stomach, worth something during an elimination phase when your gut is already working hard.

Blend it until it is completely smooth, pour it into the bowl you actually like using, and let the steam reach your face before the first spoonful. A soup this soft is still doing its job.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil, or avocado oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger, or 1 tsp dried ginger
• 1.5 lb carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 cup coconut milk, or tigernut milk
• sea salt, to taste

Method

Warm the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until it softens and turns translucent, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook another minute, until fragrant.

Add the chopped carrots and the stock. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook until the carrots are completely tender and pierce easily, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Pour in the coconut milk. Blend the soup smooth with an immersion blender right in the pot, or work in batches in a stand blender. Taste and add salt until it sings. Reheat gently if needed and serve warm.

Instant Pot variation

Use the saute setting to soften the onion in the oil, then stir in the garlic and ginger for a minute. Add the carrots and stock, lock the lid, and cook at high pressure for about 6 to 8 minutes, then quick release. Stir in the coconut milk and blend smooth as above, then season with salt. The pressure-cook time is untested and worth checking as you go.

*Adapted from thrivingonpaleo.com*