Carrot, Lemon & Ginger Soup recipe

A perfect warming low-cal, vegan and gluten-free meal

Text: Shannon T

Credit: The Midlife Kitchen

What to eat is undoubtedly one of the hardest decisions to make when you are watching the scale and counting calories. While restaurants are now rolling out healthy and clean-eating options for take-outs and deliveries, making your own meals offers much more flexibility and room for experiment in flavours and textures.

Here, we’ve got a delicious soup recipe created and shared by Sam Rice, a freelance food and health writer and the mastermind behind the UK Sunday Times best-selling book The Midlife Kitchen.

This Carrot, Lemon and Ginger Soup recipe takes a brilliant spin on the classic carrot and coriander combination, adding great texture and taste lift with the base of red lentils and lemon. Fresh ginger complements the sweet carrot and completes the dish for a hearty and flavourful finish. This delicious soup is vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free and is (thankfully!) low-cal at only 186 calories per portion! Make a batch and freeze some for fast lunch options! Read on for the recipe.

Credit: The Midlife Kitchen

Carrot, Lemon and Ginger Soup

Preparation time: 10MIN

Cooking time: 20MIN

Total time: 30MIN

Quantity/serves: 2

Ingredients

·      30g dried red lentils

·      Zest of  ½ lemon

·      2cm piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and finely sliced

·      300g carrots, peeled and chopped

·      ½ onion, roughly chopped

·      500ml vegetable stock, made from a cube

·      Leaves from 2 fresh coriander sprigs, plus extra to serve

·      100ml light coconut milk

·      A pinch of salt

·      A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Method

1.    Put the lentils, lemon zest and ginger into a food processor and pulse to combine. You will need to pulse and then scrape down the sides a few times. Add the carrots and onions and pulse again until everything is coarsely chopped.

2.    Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan. Use a splash of the stock to rise out the food processor bowl and pour that into the saucepan, followed by the rest of the stock.

3.    Place the pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

4.    Add the coriander leaves and coconut milk and stir well.

5.    Return the soup to the food processor and blend on high until smooth.

6.    Taste and season with salt and pepper accordingly. Add a little water to loosen if required.

7.    Return to the saucepan to warm through, then serve, topped with a few more coriander leaves.

Tips and Tweaks

·      Blitzing the ingredients in the food processor first reduces the overall cooking time and maximises the flavour released from the lemon and ginger.

·      Top with a pinch of dried chilli flakes if you like a bit of a kick.

·      Serve with some wholegrain bread (1 slice = 100 cals) or a couple of oatcakes (1 oatcake = 45 cals).

---