Looking for a healthy, hearty soup recipe to enjoy over the cooler months? This flavourful Carrot and Sweet Corn Soup is packed with nutrients, and is so quick & easy to prepare. We love making soup in bulk so that we can freeze the leftovers to enjoy throughout the week.
Getting creative with soups
Soups are a great way to use up any leftover ingredients / fresh produce you have in your fridge. For example if you had some pumpkin or potato that you need to use, you can very easily incorporate these ingredients in. Our soup recipes are just a guide, so feel free to get creative! Same applies for spices. We’ve used curry leaves and cumin to give this carrot and sweet corn soup recipe a bit of a kick, but you can add in chilli or cayenne if you want to take it to the next level.
Let’s talk about the health benefits of the humble carrot
Carrots have long been known for their exceptional beta-carotene and Vitamin A content, together with the associated benefits to vision. The beta-carotene in carrots is relatively heat stable, meaning much of these valuable nutrients are retained in soups such as this one. A number of other nutrients are present in smaller quantitates in carrots, including certain B vitamins, Vitamins C, E and K and minerals such as potassium and manganese.
Unsurprisingly, the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory nature of beta-carotene, as well as other phytonutrient compounds, called polyacetylenes, have produced impressive results in studies with regard to cardio-vascular health. As has been the case with a number of foods, studies also show that whole carrots, with their unique combination of nutrients, offer superior health benefits to the nutrients in isolation. For example, in addition to significant cardio-vascular protection, the combination of dietary fibre and phytonutrients in carrots are also beneficial for colon health and have shown promise as a protective food against colon cancer.
Carrots are also widely considered to be high on the glycaemic index (GI), as is pumpkin, which may cause concern to some people. The GI of carrots, however, varies, with cooked carrots having the lowest, at approximately 39 (below 40 is considered to be low) and the glycaemic load (GL) is extremely low, at 3 (please see our blog on sugars for further explanation of GI and GL). The blood regulating properties of ginger, included in this recipe, further mitigate the risk of blood sugar spiking.
Choose organic carrots if possible, to minimise pesticide residue and always check freshness, evident by vibrant colour and crispness. Carrots which have been stored to the point of being limp have little nutritional value. That is, if they look lifeless, they generally are.
Carrot and sweet corn soup
4 serves
10 minutes
40 minutes
215 kcal
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
20 fresh curry leaves (or 1/4 tsp curry powder)6 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
5 cups filtered water
2 corn cobs, steamed for 5 minutes
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
Directions
- Gently heat olive oil in heavy based pan. Add onion and braise for 2-3 minutes.
- Add cumin seeds and curry leaves (or powder), braise for a further 5 minutes.
- Add chopped vegetables and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (or until vegetables are soft).
- Remove corn kernels from cob, reserve a few for garnish (optional). Add to corn and grated ginger to soup and stir through. Continue to cook a further 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender, blend until smooth.
- Serve and garnish with corn kernels, fresh parsley and nigella seeds (optional).
This soup recipe was inspired by our weekly delivery of organic fruit & vegetables from My Organic School. My Organic School is based in Bronte, Sydney. All of their produce is 100% certified organic and their mission is to make organic food more affordable for all Australian families. Toxic exposure is a growing epidemic and the team at My Organic School passionately believe organic produce should be the default, not seen as a niche luxury. They make organic affordable by giving communities the tools to work together to pack and distribute their toxin free, fresh produce every Thursday afternoon.