Spicy carrot soup with toasted chickpea

This soup is perfect for a rainy day. Its nourishing, warming and comforting at the same time. The toasted chickpeas gives the soup the perfect touch at it brings crunch to the meal. I always need that feeling of chewing something in order to get properly satisfied by a meal.

This is also the perfect soup to eat during spring when our bodies are transitioning from winter. Spring is the season of Kapha, when our blood are thicker and our circulation sluggish. Many people notice that they tend to get sick, or struggle with allergies during this season. There are often mucus build up in the body as a result of the shredding of fat stored over winter. Our body don’t need this extra protection anymore as we are moving towards warmer days so it begins its own natural detox process which lead waste products to enter into our bloodstreams. This makes it thicker and sweeter and more prone towards stagnation. Having an appropriate diet for the season will be beneficial and are supporting our bodies natural detox process.

Carrots and turmeric are both blood purifiers with anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger is a warming and pungent spice that is great to help break up mucus, support our immune system and improve circulation. Cayenne is also a great spice to encourage movement of blood and kale has the bitter qualities that helps dry out excess mucus and toxins.

Ingredients:

• 4 medium large carrots

• 2 fed of garlic

• Fresh ginger (quantity depends on how much ginger flavor you like)

• 250ml coconut milk

• 1 tbsp turmeric powder or fresh turmeric

• Coconut oil to fry

• 1 tsp fresh cumin seeds

• sea salt/Himalayan salt + pepper to taste

• Two handful of kale

• 1 can chickpeas

• cayenne pepper

• lemon

• Optional: organic bone broth for extra flavor and minerals

To do

1. Turn on the oven on 180 degrees celsius.

2. Warm coconut oil in a pan, then add in the cumin seed and one fed of garlic cut into smaller pieces and fry until you get a nice smell.

3. Peel the carrots, then cut them into small pieces and add to the pan. Allow a couple of minutes to fry.

4. Bring water to the pan, you want just enough water to cover the carrots, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat a bit and let it simmer until the carrots becomes soft.

5. While the carrots are boiling you can prepare the chickpeas. Rinse them in water, then massage them in with a little coconut oil, salt, pepper and cayenne. Spread them out on a baking tray and place in the middle of the oven. Remember to keep an eye and stir frequently to avoid burned chickpeas.

6. When the carrots are soft add in turmeric and ginger and then use a stick blender to puree everything into a smooth blend. Ps. If you want an even thicker soup you can pour of some of the water before blending, but then you want to wait to add the spices. Add the coconut milk and blend well before heating up on low temperature. Season with salt and pepper and squeeze in lemon.

7. While the soup is warming you can warm oil and the last garlic fed in a separate pan before adding the kale. Let cook until the kale are slightly crisp. Optionally you can pour a bit of soy sauce over the kale for extra flavor.

8. Take the chickpeas out of the oven and let cool slightly.

9. Pour the soup into a bowl and top off with kale and some chickpeas. Squeeze some extra lemon over if you like and enjoy!