Waiter, there’s turmeric in my soup!  I love soup!  It’s a meal in a bowl – easy preparation, easy clean up. One or two days with a tiny drizzle is enough incentive for me to drag out my big soup pot. There is nothing quite like a big pot of soup bubbling away to make your kitchen feel cozy and smell heavenly.   I have made carrot soup before, Carrot Coconut Soup, which I loved but I ran across a recipe for Roasted Carrot Turmeric Soup from Love and Lemons and was intrigued by the use of turmeric, that wildly popular spice touted to be the cure for whatever ails you.  I mean it’s even in my daily vitamin! So what’s the real skinny on Turmeric?

Turmeric is in the ginger family and comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant. It’s spicy ginger-like flavor is the main ingredient in curry powder and is common in South Asian foods. Turmeric has been used for a very long time in Asia (primarily in China and India), not only for its distinctive flavor but also for it’s powerful healing properties.   We may be slow to the party but the Western World has recently ‘discovered’ the many benefits of turmeric. Why is turmeric considered so great? Can it really prevent Alzheimers, cancer and depression (among other claims) or is it all a bunch of hype? Well, turmeric might just be all that.  According to the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Turmeric contains a wide range of antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, antimutagenic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also loaded with many healthy nutrients such as protein, dietary fiber, niacin, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium and zinc. These properties are believed to help treat a variety of conditions.  Here are 10 Health Benefits of Turmeric including prevention of cancer, liver disease and Alzheimers, controlling diabetes and relieving arthritis and more… The list is quite impressive.

Did you know a sweet potato is not really a potato?  Shocking, I know.  It’s actually the elongated root of a vine in the morning glory family.  Who knew? Turmeric is not the only goodie in this soup.  Carrots and sweet potatoes (and other foods in the orange/yellow food group) are loaded with vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients.  I think I’ll have another bowl of soup!

TIPS:  Try to resist the urge to peel the carrots if at all possible, since most of the nutrients are right under the skin and are lost in the peeling process.  Use a scrub brush or sponge instead and dry with a paper towel.  All veggies can be cut roughly since they will be pureed with a food processor or blender once they are soft so size doesn’t matter.  Turmeric has a beautiful bright yellow/orange color which is used in dying textiles, however, it will also dye your cutting board or food processor (or anything porous it touches), so add the turmeric and curry powder after the vegetables have been pureed.  I would recommend adding 1 teaspoon of each, taste for spiciness and then add more to taste.  This original recipe called for all vegetables to be chopped, drizzled with olive oil and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or so before pureeing which may give the soup a richer flavor, so try that if you have the time and inclination.  I was a bit short on time so opted to make this a one pot meal, easy preparation and easy cleanup, plus great results!

CARROT SWEET POTATO SOUP WITH TURMERIC

6-8 large carrots
1 large sweet potato, or 2 small
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons turmeric, ground
1-2 teaspoons madras curry powder
2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger (or ginger paste)
4 cups vegetable stock
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• Scrub carrots instead of peeling. Roughly chop carrots and onion.

• Saute the onions, carrots, garlic and ginger in olive oil until the onions are translucent

• Peel and coarsely chop the sweet potato.  Add to the onions and carrots.

• Add vegetable stock, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 20 minutes.

• When the vegetables are fork tender, let cool slightly and process in a food processor or blender in batches until silky smooth.
• Rinse out soup pot and return vegetable puree.  Add one or two cusp of water if needed.  Add 1 teaspoon each of turmeric and curry powder, pinch of cayenne and 1 Tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.  Taste and add more if desired.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

• To serve top with plain or spiced yogurt or sour cream (recipe below)

SPICED YOGURT (optional)

1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
a  squeeze of lemon & a bit of zest
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or Chinese Five Spice
pinch of salt

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until needed.