Curried Carrot & Quinoa Soup

It’s the time of year where everyone is looking for a warm comforting bowl of *make my belly happy* soup. It is funny how our body works and craves food; in a few months I will toss nourishing soup aside for the allure of fresh crisp greens…but for right now, I want nothing more than warm, creamy, simple-to-make soups.

In the past, I have made carrot soup with cashews, to give it that added creaminess. However, now that my husband, son and I are unable to eat nuts, I needed to find a different source of protein for this soup. I wanted to make it more of a “One Pot” complete meal.

I chose to use Quinoa. Once cooked, Quinoa will puree nicely, leaving the soup with a nice creamy consistency. I have actually used cooked Quinoa in smoothies many times.

I used a Jamaican Curry Powder blend from my local health food store, so that it would be a little milder for my kiddos. I am sure your favorite curry powder would also work well in this recipe. Curry powder is a blend of spices including turmeric. Turmeric is said to act as an anti-inflammatory, and could be a valuable addition to the diet of anyone with rheumatoid arthritis or fibromyalgia, for example.

What is your favorite way to warm up in the cold winter months?

Other Cozy Soup Recipes:

• Gluten-Free Breadcrumb Soup
• Mighty Minestrone Soup
• Vegan Cream of Spinach Soup
• No-Potato Bacon Soup
• Roasted Paprika Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup
• Creamy Fiddlehead Soup
• Hearty Rutabaga Soup

Curried Carrot & Quinoa Soup

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 1lb of organic carrots washed and chopped
• 4 ribs of celery chopped
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 and a half teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 1 and a half teaspoons Jamaican Curry Powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt (or to taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup dried quinoa rinsed well
• 3 cups of broth
• 1 cup of dairy free milk (or more broth)

Garnish

• Coconut cream (from top of canned coconut milk)
• Cilantro

Instructions:

1. In a large pot, heat oil and turn the heat to low. Sauté the onions for about 5 minutes or until they become translucent.
2. Add the garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and ginger, and sauté for another few minutes.
4. Now add the celery and all of the seasonings. Sauté for another few minutes.
5. Add the rinses quinoa and combine to let it get coated in all the wonderful flavors.
6. Add 3 cups of stock, cover and cook for 15 minutes until the quinoa is tender.
7. Once cooked, transfer the soup in 2 batches to your food processor and puree until smooth (or use a hand blender! lucky duck!)
8. Add the soup back into the pot and add the dairy free milk. I used about 1 cup…but you can add whatever you like until the soup reaches your desired consistency.

Danielle Rouse is the creative energy behind the allergy friendly recipe blog, Fresh4Five | Real Food, Fresh Ideas. This mother of three has a passion for nutrition and cooking with  fresh and wholesome ingredients. Danielle has become and expert at developing  recipes to meet the complex dietary needs of her family. She is currently studying to become a Registered Holistic Nutritionist at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition.  Fresh4Five hosts  an array of family friendly recipes that are free of Gluten, Dairy,  Soy, Nuts and  Paleo Friendly.

Read all of Danielle’s posts here.