Spiced roasted nuts carrot soup

Carrots are often thought of as the ultimate health food, right ? Like me, you probably heard a million times your parents say "Carrots will help you see in the dark" or "carrots will give you a nice skin" when you were a kids :)

Purple, red, yellow, white, orange.... whatever the variety, they are all rich in antioxydants and in vitamin A (good for your view). Also they can be found all year round and are so versatile to accommodate different bakes and meals! I always have lots of them in my fridge.

So today it's a soup I cooked with orange ones (you can swap for purple if you want a fancy colored soup :). Adding some nuts and yogurt makes it a protein and healthy fat rich dish. If you are vegan opt for plant yogurt otherwise go for greek one, which creaminess completes so well this spiced soup.

Super easy recipe below. Have fun cooking and eating it :)

INGREDIENTS (for 4 bowls)

1. 1 kg chopped carrots

2. 400 ml low sodium vegetable stock

3. 400 to 700 ml water (according to desired consistency)

4. 300 grs chopped yellow onions

5. 1 crushed garlic clove

6. 25 grs grated fresh ginger

7. 2 tbsp coconut oil

8. 2 tsp ground cumin

9. 1 tsp cinnamon

10. 1 tsp chili flakes (omit if eating with your kids or adjust to spiced level you like)

11. 1 tsp ground coriander

12. Roasted spiced cashews: 50 grs cashews / 1/16 cup coconut sugar / 1tbsp coconut oil / 1 tsp garam masala /1/4 tsp salt / 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

13. To serve top each bowl with 1 heaped tbsp greek or coconut yogurt, chopped cilantro, sliced red onions and some of the roasted spiced cashews

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large pan (medium / low fire). Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir for a few min, then add all spices and stir for 1/2 min until fragrant.

2. Add the salt, the carrots, the stock and bring to a boil. Top with the water and let it simmer, covered for 25 min (Check after 15 min if need to top up with water).

3. In the meantime, mix the cashews with the oil, sugar and spices in a bowl to fully coat them, and then put in preheated oven (160°C) to roast for up to 20/25 min (should be golden but not overly brown :). this can be done of course ahead and you can also prepare a bigger batch to use as toppings for salads, other soups, or even as snacks ...

4. Once the veggies are cooked, blend the soup and add some more water if you need until you reach proper consistency.

5. To serve, pour soup in bowls, top with yogurt, red onions slices, cilantro and roughly chopped roasted spiced cashews.

6. Eat with some pita bread,GF wrap, or some grains and leafy greens to have a complete meal.