Roasted Carrot & Ginger Soup

With the colder weather approaching it’s time to start upping our culinary anti-microbials - ingredients commonly found on the kitchen that protect against infection.

This recipe incorporates my two favourite antimicrobials - ginger and garlic. Don’t be afraid to go to town on the garlic and ginger that you add. The more you include the stronger the immune boosting effect!

Ingredients:

• 1 kg carrots (or mix of pumpkin and carrot) - cut into small chunks

• 1 onion - sliced

• 4 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 cloves of garlic - minced

• 3 large thumbs of ginger - grated

• 1-2 tsp cinnamon

• salt and pepper to taste

• 6 cups of vegetable stock

• Half a can of coconut milk

  Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius

• Coat carrots in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper, lay on a baking tray in a single layer and roast for 45 minutes.

• In a large pot heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat. Add onions and fry for 3 minutes or until translucent.

• Add garlic and ginger and fry for 1 minute

• Add the roasted carrots and the rest of the ingredients, excluding the coconut milk, and bring to the boil.

• Turn heat down to low/ medium, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

• Turn off heat, add coconut milk, and blend with a handheld blender (you can also mash or transfer to a food processor in batches). Add more water for a thinner soup.