By special guest chef Omid Jaffari of Tried.Tasted.Served
This recipe for Carrot & Pistachio Soup is smooth, creamy and delicious, as well as healthy and filling.
It has a delicate natural buttery nutty flavor, with nuts and pieces of carrots that you can actually taste!
Serves 4
You Need:
For the Carrot & Pistachio Soup
- 4 carrots, diced
- 1/2 shallot, finely cut
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked in 2 cups pure water
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- 2 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup pistachios, soaked and dried
For the Garnish
- fresh chervil or coriander
- a pinch of crushed pistachios
Method
Step 1:
Blend the soaked macadamia nuts, adding water half a cup at a time (use the water used for soaking + 2 cups water) until smooth, well blended, and a milk-like consistency is obtained. It should yield 4 cups macadamia milk.
Step 2:
Add the other ingredients, except the pistachios, and leave it in the macadamia milk (which is in the blender) for 5 minutes. Then blend them all together until semi-smooth.
Leave the soup in the fridge for 5 minutes to mature and develop flavors, then for another 1-2 minutes at room temperature to take off the chill.
Mounting your Work
Step 1:
Place your Carrot & Pistachio Soup in two lovely soup bowls and divide the pistachios between the two bowls, give it a gentle stir, and smoothe the top part of the soup with the back of your spoon.
Step 2:
Garnish with a pinch of crushed pistachios and a few leaves of fresh chervil or coriander.
Enjoy!!
Let us know how you go! Was it a hit with all the family? Did you use ingredient variations that worked well? Share your experience with us! If you really love soup, you may like to try My Favourite Tomato Soup and Spicy Carrot Soup
Nutritional Info for Carrot & Pistachio Soup
This is a smooth, creamy and delicious soup that is healthy and filling. It can be a snack or a light meal in itself.
- Carrots have a mildly sweet taste and a crunchy texture and are very rich in vitamin A, carotenoids and vitamin K.
- Macadamia and Pistachio nuts are nutrient dense foods that are high in protein, fats and dietary fiber.
- Olive oil is a good source of unsaturated fatty acids and is available in both high-oleic (high in monounsaturated fats) and high-linoleic (high in polyunsaturated fats) varieties.
- Green cardamom, fresh coriander, chervil and shallots add flavor and a nice aroma to the dish, but they also have beneficial medicinal properties.
Health benefits
- This soup provides good amount of calories, proteins and dietary fiber, but the majority of the calories come from the fats.
- Excellent source of vitamin A, a natural antioxidant that reduces acne, and promotes healthy, smooth and radiant skin.
- Good source of vitamin B6, which is essential in the synthesis of hemoglobin in the blood.
- Very good source of B1, which is essential for energy production, and also as a co-factor in many metabolic reactions.
- Good source of magnesium. It helps in relieving fatigue, relaxing the muscles, nerves and blood vessels, thus relieving the symptoms of asthma, migraine headaches, tension and soreness in muscles etc.
- Very good source of copper and manganese, which reduce the risk of inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, enhance the activity of enzymes that are needed to maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, ligaments and joints. They also function as co-factors to very important detoxification reactions in our body.
- Moderate source of iron. It helps in maintaining good hemoglobin content in the blood and also reduces the risk of anemia.
- Good source of phytosterols, which are plant compounds that have beneficial health effects.
Nutritional information
Each serving of this delicious soup provides the following nutrients:
Calories: 18% (358 Cal); Total Fats: 52%; Saturated Fats: 25%; Carbohydrates: 5%; Proteins: 12%; Fiber: 23%; Iron: 10%; Magnesium: 15%; Copper: 22%; Manganese: 77%; Vitamin A: 170%; Vitamin B1: 32%; Vitamin B6: 16%; Phytosterols: 68 mg.
MORE RECIPES
For more delicious soup recipes, try My Favourite Tomato Soup, Spicy Carrot Soup and our information on Raw Blended Soups and Salads