Orange Parsnip Soup

So January is finally here, and it’ll last the usual 4 years I’m sure. But I’m not going too heavy with the resolutions this year (and not just because they went out the window after 2 days). January is hard enough. Christmas is over, everyone is skint, it’s dark at 4pm. So I’m trying to slowly ease myself into a less gluttonous lifestyle, rather than cut everything I enjoy out of my diet.

I’ve started reading up on Ayurvedic diets and I think January is probably the best time to try a more Ayurvedic approach to food. Ayurveda is an ancient Indian practice, which teaches us that our mind and body are connected; that freedom from illness depends upon expanding our own awareness, bringing it into balance, and then extending that balance to the body. Ultimately, making it much easier to know what it needs and what it doesn’t.

With the way we generally live our lives, it’s hard to follow a completely Ayurvedic diet, but it is easy to introduce aspects of it into our lives. For example, eating small but warming breakfasts to kickstart, but not overwhelm our digestion. Eating our biggest meal in the middle of the day to give us fuel to keep going. And eating a small calming meal at the end of the day, so our digestion is not overwhelmed before bed, and our bodies can work to rest and repair rather than working on digesting. This is great for a good night sleep, for our skin and general physical and mental wellbeing. So, with this in mind I’ve been experimenting with soups – a perfect light meal before bed. Usually I hate soup, I didn’t expect to enjoy this recipe as much as I did (which is why I haven’t taken any pictures), but I really loved it and will be making it again!

Orange Parsnip Soup

Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 4 parsnips
• 3 carrots
• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 white onion
• 2 red onions
• 1 small bulb of garlic (yes I do mean bulb)
• 4 tsp marigold vegan stock
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 litres water
• 3 tbsp coconut oil (or any oil you prefer)
• 1 block of organic Cauldron tofu

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 then roughly cut the parsnips and sweet potato into chunks, a couple of inches thick and roast in 1 tbsp coconut oil for 20 minutes or until slightly browned.
2. Meanwhile, halve the onions and cut into thin slices and fry in 1 tbsp of coconut oil until soft.
3. Then cut the carrots into cubes, roughly chop the garlic and fry with the onions until soft.
4. Once the parsnips and sweet potato are ready, add to the other vegetables.
5. Next, add the turmeric, black pepper and slowly add the stock, stirring as you go.
6. Bring to the boil, then let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.
7. Take the tofu and cut into bite-sized chunks and fry in the rest of the coconut oil until slightly browned on each sized.
8. Take the soup off the heat, and using a hand-held blender, mix until smooth.
9. Take the tofu chunks and put them in the soup – mix in if you want.

Health Benefits

This meal is packed full of infection fighting foods, so it’s great for flu season. Sweet potatoes and parsnips are also a great source of vitamin A and C, which we need to help maintain a healthy immune system.  Sweet potatoes and carrots are a great source of potassium, which is good for blood pressure. Carrots and onions are a source of antioxidants, which can help to lower the body’s risk of infection. Parsnips contain folate, and manganese helping maintain healthy cell and brain function.

Turmeric and black pepper are anti-inflamatory and antibacterial and garlic is highly nutritious, can help reduce blood pressure and can combat infections including the common cold.