This soup made from carrots and red beets has a beautiful bright red color and is a fast and easy kind of creme recipe to make. My added twist to the standard method is boiling all the vegetables together, which maintains the very earthy flavor untouched.
Creamy soups are permanently part of my weekly meal plan as I try to include all the 5 essential nutrients our body needs to function properly, such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.
I don’t know if it happened to you too, but when I was a kid, I was repeatedly told to eat a carrot a day because it’s good for me. Well, it took me a while to understand all the benefits of carrots and, moreover, to actually see the overall positive health changes by eating them everyday.
Basically, I have now added them to all my salads, a couple of creme soups, in my favorite asian recipes, steamed and in so many other ways, or I simply snack on them.
Carrots are an excellent source of vitamins A and C, calcium and iron. They also contain vitamins K and E, fiber and zinc. Eating a carrot a day might help not only reducing your intake of sweets (fighting back the sugar craving), but might also delay the effects of aging and improve your immune function.
Beetroot, or more simply the red beet, is not only great for making muscles work hard due to their content of proteins, but they are a unique source of phytonutrients that provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support. The beets are also your liver’s best friend, especially in those moments when you are stressed.
If you buy the fresh beets that still have the greens attached, you will get not only the healthiest bite, but also a good staple for your next salad – the greens that are edible like any other green lettuce/salad. So make sure don’t throw them out, use them in your first salad along with other green leaves.
If you decide to go for the canned ones, make sure you buy the low-in-salt brands and rinse the beets very well to keep the sodium level as low as possible.
If you are pregnant and you need a pick-me-up, try to boost your iron levels with a beets salad or why not my soup from today. Include minimum 1 whole medium beet in your diet once or twice a week so that you can reap their nutritional benefits.
Before we go on with the recipe, I have to tell you that if you add a little bit of ginger to the creamy carrot-beet soup, you will simply jazz up the sweet deep flavor. And yes, you will lick the last bit of soup. It is also worth mentioning that adding almond milk to the recipe highlights its creamy texture and makes it slightly smoother.
- 8 large carrots, peeled
- 3 large red beets, trimmed
- 1 medium onion
- ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 30 ml almond milk
- 1 tablespoon sour creme (I used soy-based sour creme)
- a handful of raw pine nuts
- salt and pepper to taste
- First off, trim red beets stems and green leaves. Do the same procedure with the carrots if you buy them fresh and wash them very well.
- In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil, add all the veggies (beetroot, carrots and onion) and lower the heat. Let them simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes or until red beets are tender as they need more time than the rest of the veggies.
- Once the veggies are tender, process the soup, in batches - add a bit of ginger with every batch, until smooth.
- Then return the soup to the saucepan over low heat for a couple of minutes (maximum 5 minutes) or until heated through and add the almond milk, which will thin the soup slightly and make it smoother. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve it in bowls, top with a splash of sour creme and sprinkle with raw pine nuts for a divine crunchy taste. Et Voilà, such a healthy bite! :)
In case you don't use/find to buy coconut milk, get creative and use your favorite choice. I haven't tried it with normal milk, but I guess it should work very well.
Get creative, use the ingredients you have at hand but make sure you "cook it fit".
Sharing is kind of SEXY!
Good idea!!
Enjoy healthy summer soups..
http://bit.ly/1n9VvAH
Thank you Ema! ;)
Looks delicious! Thanks for sharing :)
You’re welcome! I hope you give it a shot and let me know how it went. ;)