I was recently asked by a new acquaintance whether I had any side hustles. I replied, that my full-time job is one patchwork quilt of side hustles.
You know most of them, with online group health coaching being the latest addition. But one you may not be aware of, which I took to new heights this summer, is soup station operator and delivery girl.
Since food is my primary love language, whenever I have a friend who’s in need of extra comfort, assistance or nourishment, I always try to made a homemade food delivery. And 90 percent of the time, the dish in tow is soup.
I choose soup for the obvious reasons. First, it scores incredibly high on both the health and comfort spectrum. It’s also easy to freeze for later, and reheat or prepare for the here and now. More importantly, as a selfish altruist, it’s just as easy to prepare in the first place, or stock in my own freezer for a later delivery.
Over the summer, I provided much gratitude via soup to our dear friend and officiant, Rob, who has been battling stomach cancer, and to whom I owe so much more than just a quart container of creamy carrot soup.
When his wife, Debbie, told me what he had been craving—primarily, rich, creamy non-obtrusive things—I pioneered this coconut milk version of my favorite roasted carrot ginger soup recipe. It packs so much more nutrients than your typical cream of carrot soup (which he may have preferred, but which I was unable to ethically provide as a card-carrying health hedonist).
The turmeric lights the carrot color on fire with all its anti-inflammatory properties. The ginger fires up the gut, in a good way. The roasted leek and carrot gives it a rich oniony depth and a touch of sweetness. And the potatoes and coconut milk add even more vegan creamy goodness to the texture.
I also included these turmeric oats, this creamy cashew tomato soup and this green goddess soup as part of the delivery. But it was no surprise that the roasted carrot ginger soup took the grand prize of fan favorite.
Earlier this fall, after two of my girlfriends gave birth to their first child, I resurrected Phoebe’s Soup Kitchen to bring them doses of this healthy cream of carrot soup recipe. The reviews were similar, especially as the weather has turned beautifully crisp. And I gilded the lily to make it more eye-catching and texturally interesting by reserving some of the crispy leeks to sprinkle on top.
Read on for the recipe, and tell me in the comment:s what type of soup would you most want delivered for comfort, health and strength? You bet I’ll be adding it to my rotation!
With health and hedonism,
Phoebe
p.s. If you’re looking to save time in your low FODMAP kitchen, check out some of these fabulous store bought sauces, spice mixes and condiments.
Roasted Carrot-Ginger Soup with Turmeric and Crispy Leeks
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots skin-on, halved
- Olive oil
- Sea salt
- 2 large leeks white and light green parts only, rinsed, halved and thinly sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 pound russet potato 1 medium, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 13.5 ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Arrange in an even layer and roast in the bottom half of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until caramelized and fork tender.
- On a second parchment paper lined baking sheet, toss half of the leeks with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season lightly with salt. Arrange in an even layer and roast in the top half of the oven until lightly browned and crispy, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large stockpot or saucepan, heat the ghee or coconut oil over a medium flame. Add the remaining leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, turmeric and potatoes. Sauté for another 3 minutes, until fragrant. Carefully pour in the coconut milk. Fill one of the dirty cans with water and add to the pot (about 2 cups) along with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- In a high powered blender, combine the roasted carrots with the turmeric potato mixture. Puree until smooth. Divide between 4 bowls and top with the crispy leeks. Enjoy immediately.
I am totally going to make this soon. I have most of the ingredients now and am pretty excited to get it done! I love soups and I love to cook now that I’ve learned how. I’m making one of your recipes now! Lol. Anyway, I look forward to looking at more of your site and making more of your recipes! B
awe thanks jessica!! report back!
It was sooooo goooood!! I absolutely love the baked carrots. This is such a great soup. I’m so glad it’s enough where I can freeze it for another week. Thank you!!!
I mean freeze half of it for another time.
Awesome! So glad you loved it. Just made something similar the other night and was so satisfying
Looks great!! What is the LowFodmap serving size and any ideas for pairings? Would love to make it as a dinner – maybe toss some baked tofu in there? Thanks…
I’m not sure about the exact amount, but if you’re watching FODMAPS just omit the leek and sub low fodmap chicken broth or water for one of the cans of coconut milk. Then you can have 1 full serving (1/4 of total soup).
I’m curious if I could use the green tops of scallions/green onions in place of leeks to make this FODMAP-friendly…
Do you think they’d roast similarly for the topping?
yes! or you can just omit them altogether. Still yummy.
Can I swap a sweet potato in for the russet potato?
you can!