Spa+Clinic Team The freeze is on, and there’s nothing better than a bowl or mug of warming soup, any time of day.
Of course most canned and packet soups are highly processed and packed with preservatives, sugar and salt.
But brewing homemade soups can be a long and fiddly process.
Enter The Beauty Chef, Carla Oates …
“I put `quick’ in the title of this recipe because this is my go-to recipe when I need a nutrient-rich soup that is fast to make.
“It is a great skin-turnaround meal, too, as carrots are one of the best sources of beta-carotene, which helps clarify the skin and normalise skin-cell turnover by improving the circulation of oxygen.
“The herbs and spices help stimulate digestion, while garlic is full of allicin (the oily, pungent liquid you get when you smash garlic), which is a potent antibacterial that may help clear acne and other skin infections.
“Paprika is full of vitamin C and also boasts one of the highest ORAC (oxygen radical absorbing capacity) scores known, meaning it is full of skin-protective antioxidants.”
INGREDIENTS
40ml olive oil
1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1.2kg carrots, coarsely grated
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 lemons, juiced and with the zest finely grated
1.4 litres filtered water
20ml apple-cider vinegar, or to taste
300g sheep’s-milk yoghurt
Coarsely chopped mint, coriander and flat-leaf parsley
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes, or until tender. Add the carrot, spices and lemon zest, stirring occasionally until the carrot softens, then add the filtered water. Season to taste. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until flavours combine (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat, add the yoghurt and lemon juice and process with a hand-held blender until smooth. Serve hot, dolloped with extra yoghurt, scattered with herbs and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.
Serves 4-6
