By Elizabeth Whalley
It’s the beginning of February and that means one of two things; if you’re not dodging rain clouds, you’re warding off the latest flu bug. Ergo, soup is a must. But forget chicken noodle, I have a delicious, vegan and gluten free, immune boosting treasure from the soup gods; Carrot Ginger Miso Soup. It’s packed with all my go-to cold fighting ingredients and most importantly, undeniable flavour.
During my trip to the market last Saturday I couldn’t help but notice the hefty bulbs of garlic littered throughout the stalls. That got me to thinking of all of garlic’s mystical powers. Garlic is awesome at fighting off mid-winter bugs; it’s antibacterial and antiviral! There are many other benefits to enjoying a clove of garlic everyday; ranging from improving cardiovascular function to warding of cancer! Ginger is a cold fighting powerhouse all its 
own; it calms nausea, helps you sweat out a cold and is immune boosting. These two are a match made in cold fighting heaven.
The base for my immunity soup? None other than the common carrot. Forstbauer Family Natural Food Farm had crates full of multi-coloured carrots that caught my eye. Don’t be fooled this everyday root vegetable is full of anti-oxidants that are good for you anytime of the year. They were destined for my soup pot.
Carrot Soup with Miso and Ginger
- 5-6 large carrots
- 1 large white onion
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tablespoons ginger
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 litre vegetable stock, homemade or low/no sodium
- ¼ cup organic miso paste*, I used Amano’s Genmai Miso
- Green onions
- Sesame seeds
*Some miso pastes are not gluten free and contain barley or wheat, read the labels carefully!
Method:
Thinly slice the carrots and onions. A mandolin will make short work of all the carrots in the recipe if you’re lucky enough to own one.
Mince the garlic and ginger.
Heat both oils in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and garlic, sauté until onions are translucent.
Add stock and minced ginger to the saucepan. Bring stock to a boil and continue to cook until the carrots are tender, about half an hour.
Remove the soup from the heat and add miso paste. Using a hand blender, blend the soup until a smooth consistency is achieved. Finish with salt, pepper or additional miso paste to taste.
Serve hot. Garnish with additional sesame oil, thinly sliced green onion and sesame seeds.
Recipe adapted from SmittenKitchen.com
