So.

While I’d like to think that you (my amazing readers), took a more relaxed and balanced approach to the holiday season this year, (meaning that you don’t feel the need to INTENSELY DETOX immediately come these first few weeks of January), I’m gonna keep it real.

Because I know how it can go.

This is actually the first year I can remember myself that I’m not jumping on the January cleansing bandwagon. Or saying extreme things like, “I won’t drink all month”, “No more coffee”, or “I’m only eating vegetables for a week”.

I’ve gotta tell ya.

It feels pretty damn good.

Next year, for you all. If you stick with me.

It’s possible. Just know that.

But, for those you not quite there (and I’m guessing that’s more of the majority this time of year), I wanted to share a little real food gem of a recipe today that can get you back to feeling good.

Because feeling good is a lot better than feeling horrible, groggy, cranky, puffy, and generally miserable in your own skin.

Not to dwell on the obvious.

But you get the idea.

And you can do it with good food, which is awesome. Because eating is also awesome.

Simple, easy and relatively fast to make, this carrot-ginger soup is one to keep around in your food files. And it’s naturally cleansing and detoxifing. Boom.

It can be doctored up or down through the week with different additions (see my suggestions below), made more spicy or sweet, or kept clean and simple as written. With lots of fresh ginger (great for getting your digestive and immune system back to normal),  carrots, onions and clean broth, this is basically like drinking warm liquid vitamins.

Visualize that while eating.

Don’t you feel better already?

Carrot-Ginger Soup

recipe adapted from Joy The Baker

Ingredients:

5 full size carrots (those with green tops attached have so much more flavor, but you can use any)

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed or chopped

juice of 1 ripe orange

1.5 tablespoons fresh grated ginger (peel outer skin off with a small paring knife, then grate with a hand grater or microplane)

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

spices: 1/2 tsp of each: sea salt, pepper, nutmeg for garnish

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat a bit of olive or coconut oil, or butter. After it warms, add onion and garlic on low heat and stir every few minutes to keep them from burning.

In the meantime, cut and grate the fresh ginger and slice the carrots into rounds (cut the extra large pieces in half so they are all relatively the same size). Add ginger, then add the carrots after a minute or two.

Add the juice of the orange, broth, and spices to the pot:

Cover the pot with a lid and bring the soup to a boil. Once it gets there, reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on, or until you can easily mash the carrots with a fork.

Remove lid and let the soup cool for a minute or two, then blend with an immersion blender or add in batches to a full size blender. Sprinkle with nutmeg before serving.

 

Serve hot or cold, and dress it up however you’d like (or keep it simple and light). All of these would be great, complimentary add-ins to this versatile base of flavors, so feel free to experiment with:

More ginger (or less), cayenne pepper, cumin, or curry powder, a dollop of greek yogurt or cream, or garnished with chopped cilantro or parsley on top. You can also add chicken, beans, lentils or other veggies, or serve over a bowl of quinoa or brown rice to make it a heartier dish. Or start with it simple, and add things in as you go during the week.

Love this recipe? You’d love the cookbook then too. And be sure to check out the brand new Food Academy, now open for enrollment, and the seasonal meal plans!