This Ayurvedic carrot soup is a variation of the popular carrot-ginger, with a more balanced and pleasing flavor profile.
Jump to RecipeAccording to Ayurvedic wisdom, carrots are one of the easiest vegetables to digest. They are sweet, nourishing, alkalizing, and full of gut-friendly fiber.
There’s a reason that carrots are one of the first foods we give babies. They are effortless to digest.
Thus, this soup is a good choice for children, or anyone feeling weak, ill, or unwell.
Health benefits of carrots
Carrots are mostly sweet, which makes them slightly cooling. That’s why we are going to warm this soup up with garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, optional asafetida, and red chili.
Carrots also have a mildly bitter taste, which helps to cool, and gently cleanse the blood and liver. This bitter taste is more prominent in raw carrots, but it's still there in a mild way when cooked.
This cooling quality is particularly desirable during the warm summer months. If you are making this soup during the summer you could reduce the warming spices.
This soup comes together fairly quickly. It will take about 15 minutes to get everything into the Instant Pot, and 5 minutes to finish it.
Ayurvedic Carrot Soup (Instant Pot)
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Ingredients
Step 1
- 1 tablespoon ghee, (sub with olive or coconut oil)
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped or grated
- 2 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped or grated
Step 2
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon asafetida, (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon red chili
Step 3
- 4 cups carrot, (4-5 large carrots, chopped)
- 4 cups water , or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
to finish the soup
- ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
for the garnish
- ½ cup sour cream, whole milk yogurt, or plant-based yogurt (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Wash, peel, and roughly chop the carrots, and set aside until needed. Roughly chop onions. Mince or grate garlic and ginger.
Cook the soup
- Start your saucepan on medium heat OR select “SAUTE” on the Instant Pot.
- Add ghee and cumin seeds, and sauté until lightly browned and aromatic. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until lightly browned.
- Add coriander, turmeric, optional asafetida, and red chili, and stir. Sauté for about 30 seconds, until the spices are sizzling and aromatic. (Careful the spices don’t get too hot or they will burn.)
- Add the carrots, water or vegetable broth, and salt.
- Saucepan: Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes, until the carrots are really soft. Instant pot: Change the digital setting to “PRESSURE COOK,” select “HIGH PRESSURE,” and set the timer for 5 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally for 10-15 minutes, then release the remaining pressure by turning the sealing valve to “Vent.” After the steam stops, carefully remove the lid.
Finish the soup
- Use an immersion blender or blender to puree the soup until very smooth. Add the lemon juice and cilantro, and blend again for a few seconds. Add extra water if needed to adjust to your desired consistency.
For the garnish
- Serve in individual bowls and finish with a dollop of sour cream, whole milk yogurt, or plant-based yogurt. This will make the soup more creamy, and add a slight sour taste.
Eileen Perkins
Hello everyone, although this is not a new recipe, I'm posting in case you, like me, was suffering from an acute bout of digestive mayhem, and thought, what might Andrea suggest I do? I went looking through her recipe offering for something that wouldn't "turn my stomach" at the thought of eating it and found this. I think this Carrot Soup is a delicious and balanced recipe! I made it in a saucepan, and I have some suggestions for that method. Firstly, cover the pot when cooking the soup. I found it took much longer for the carrots to be cooked than directed, even with a covered pan. Consequently, maybe more than expected of the water/broth had evaporated by the end . Unless you want just a yummy puree, perhaps the carrots might be cut much smaller? Or be prepared to add more liquid and do more flavor adjustment at the end to bring the flavors where you want them? In any case, I found the flavor of this soup to be surprisingly complex! This recipe is a keeper. Thank you Andrea!
Andrea
Thanks so much for the detailed comment! You did a great job of making adjustments. I have added an instruction to partially cover the soup, and also to add extra water to adjust to the desired consistency at the end. Warm regards, Andrea