It’s a bold claim indeed. But I think it’s easy to argue that this healthy dairy-free winter soup is tops for nutrition. It’s made with pure, simple ingredients – no dairy alternatives or additives needed. It’s rich in fiber and antioxidants. And it’s quite seasonal, using some vegetables at the peak of their ripeness. But the best part is, it also tastes delicious. This recipe calls for a trio of gently sweet, orange vegetables – carrots, sweet potato, and butternut squash – for a pleasing flavor to even the most discerning taste buds.
Why You’ll Love this Healthy Dairy-Free Winter Soup
- Immune & Eye Health: This soup is a superfood for Vitamin A. One serving provides more than four times your daily requirement, which is essential for vision, skin health, and immune function.
- Fiber-Rich: This soup is excellent for digestion and will keep you full despite the relatively low calorie count.
- Anti-Inflammatory: The combination of ginger, turmeric, and garlic provides bioactive compounds (like curcumin and gingerol) with significant antioxidant benefits.
- Lightly Creamy Finish: This pureed soup has no need for milk or dairy alternatives of any kind.
- Deliciously Complex Taste: This soup plays on elements of sweet, spicy, and savory to create a flavor profile that kicks the pants off chicken soup.
- Everyone Friendly: It’s free of top allergens and is even coconut-free, sesame-free, and more! You can even serve it to your vegan and paleo friends.
Recipe Tips
- It’s Okay to Cook the Veggies Until Soft: Boiling and pureeing the vegetables breaks down their touch cell walls, allowing access to the beta carotene. Research shows that your body can absorb more beta-carotene from cooked, pureed carrots than from raw, chopped ones.
- Don’t Skip the Oil: I know some of you like to cook oil-free. But the oil does more than add richness. It’s also a carrier for fat soluble micronutrients, like vitamin A, and helps improve their absorption.
- Salt can be Your Friend: The secret ingredient to heightening flavor is salt. It makes foods sweeter (yes, really!) and more well rounded. You want to stop before you hit “salty,” but don’t under-salt. If your soup tastes bland or underwhelming sprinkle some more in (unless you need to avoid salt). The amount you need will vary based on the stock you use and the freshness and ripeness or your ingredients.
Special Diet Notes: Healthy Dairy-Free Winter Soup
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, and top food allergy-friendly. Just be sure to choose a stock (or broth) that suits your dietary needs.
Healthy Dairy-Free Winter Soup
This naturally creamy soup is bursting with vitamins, antioxidants, and flavor. It makes the most of fall and winter produce and is infused with ingredients that help keep your immune system strong.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the chili powder and turmeric, and sauté for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in the carrots and pour in 6 cups of the vegetable stock.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the sweet potato and butternut squash. Bring back to a simmer and cook until all vegetables are soft and tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Puree the soup in your blender or food processor, in batches if needed. If using a blender, remove the cap in the blender lid, and cover it with a towel as you blend. This allows the steam to escape.
- Return the soup to your pot and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Stir in more stock as needed to reach your desired consistency.
Nutrition
Notes
Zesty Addition: You can add the juice and optionally the zest of 1 juicy orange with the broth, if desired.
Topping Options: For a creamy finish, you can top with a dollop of unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, dairy-free sour cream, or a swirl of coconut cream.
Credit: This recipe is adapted from Tinned Tomatoes.
