Carrot Orange Ginger Soup

CARROT, ORANGE AND GINGER SOUP WITH CHICKEN

Recipe from Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover

Prep time – 10 min | Cook time – 20 min | Total time – 30 min

4 large or 8 small servings

INGREDIENTS

Soup Base

• 1/2 Tb coconut oil or butter

• 1 1/2 cups onion (rough chopped)

• 1 TB fresh ginger (grated or chopped)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp chili powder

• 6 cups baby carrots

• 3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1 cup coconut milk

• 3 cups low-fat milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp pepper

Soup Garnish

• 1 lb 5 oz chicken breast (cubed, 600 g)

• 1 tsp salt

• Olive oil cooking spray

INSTRUCTIONS

Soup Base: Preheat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and then the onions and saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the remaining oil, ginger, and cinnamon and chili powder and saute for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add the carrots, orange juice, coconut milk and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat immediately to a simmer to avoid boiling over. Simmer until carrots are soft (about 10 minutes). Let mixture cool for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper and puree with a blender or food processor until smooth and then pour back into the pot.

Soup Garnish: Season chicken with salt. Preheat a large non-stick frying pan on medium heat and lightly coat with spray. Saute chicken until lightly browned and completely cooked (cooking in smaller batches and re-spraying the pan as needed). Add the chicken to the soup base, reheat on medium and serve. To maintain the tenderness of the meat, avoid bringing the soup to a boil after the chicken has been added.

VARIATIONS & OPTIONS

For a great salad dressing, use 2 parts carrot soup base, 1 part olive oil and 1 part lime juice. For a tasty sauce, omit the garnish and use the soup base by itself. For added flavor and color, garnish with thinly sliced green onion. If you prefer a chunky soup, serve without pureeing. To make this a lower-carb anytime meal, reduce orange juice by 1/2 cup and replace with water.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING (LARGE/SMALL)

Calories – 512.3/256.1 | Fat (g) – 20.3/10.1 | Carbohydrates (g) – 38.3/19.1 | Protein (g) – 44.3/22.1