Enjoy this Winter Superfood with Us: Carrots!
December already!? This month’s superfood is carrots!
This root vegetable that is claimed to be the perfect health food can be found in stores all year round! Did you know carrots come in all different colors? Orange, white, purple, and yellow – a wonderful way to add a bust of color to so many recipes!
It is a highly nutritious vegetable packed with vitamins and nutrients including: vitamin A, Biotin, Vitamin K1, Potassium, and Vitamin B6 are all present. Vitamin A promotes good vision which is where carrots get their reputation of aiding eyesight! The rest of these aid in metabolism, blood pressure control, converting food into energy, and bone health.
A single carrot contains about 86-95% water and the rest being carbs. These carbs are starches and sugars such as sucrose or glucose. About 2 grams of fiber are present per carrot. The soluble fibers can lower blood sugar or feed into gut bacteria which will result in the decreased risk of disease. The insoluble fibers such as cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin can help reduce constipation.
There are so many simple ways to cook carrots and incorporate them into your everyday diet! Some of these may include roasting, slicing thin and baking them into chips, eating them raw with some dip, juicing, or pureeing for the base of a soup. Carrots also make a great addition to sweet recipes like carrot cake and oatmeal. You can also use the carrot greens in recipes like sautés and pestos.
To warm you up this winter – try one of our favorite carrot recipes:
Carrot Ginger Soup
Makes 6, 12oz servings
Ingredients:
- 6 and 1/4 cups Water
- 3 tsp Olive oil
- 1 cup White onion, diced
- 1 oz Ginger root, fresh, grated
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable base
- 11 oz Carrots, fresh, sliced thin
- 1/2 tsp Cumin, ground
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 3 Tbsp Heavy whipping cream (or another dairy free alternative)
Directions:
- In a pot, add the olive oil, sliced carrots, onion, and ginger. Cover and cook over moderately high heat for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the vegetable stock and cumin to the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook the soup over moderate heat until the carrots and onions are very soft, about 10 minutes.
- Puree the carrot soup in batches in a blender. Return the carrot soup to the pot and stir in the cream.
