Meatless Monday: Carrot, Sesame & Lime Soup [Vegan & Gluten Free]

Serves: 6
Prep & Cooking Time: 35-40 mins (*Dependent upon skill & the number of kitchen helpers!)
Type: Main Meal
Tools: Chopping board, sharp knife, veggie peeler, measuring jug, non-stick pot, ladle, blender, resealable container

Notes: This recipe contains: Vitamin A, B-Vitamins, Vitamin C, carbohydrates, protein, fibre, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and per serving contains a low quantity of added sugar, salt and a moderate quantity of fats!

 

Hi everyone- happy Monday! 😀

For those regularly participating in Meatless Mondays, following a plant-based diet or just fancy a meat-free meal, here’s a delicious, healthful and easy recipe for tonight’s dinner- Carrot, Sesame & Lime Soup!

Our soup has minimal prep, cooking and assembly! You can taste every delicious ingredient for what it is, but it has truly produced a fantastic combination of flavours! #limemakeseverythingbetter

We thought it was about time we had updated last year’s carrot soup recipe (as tasty as it was!) with another one that can use any carrot (#loveuglyvegetables) and will inspire you to eat this healthy more days than none! 😛 In fact, it’s a great recipe for using up your ‘end of days’ veggies and houmous; one of Hugh’s ‘waste not tips’ (as seen on TV) was to add old houmous into your soup! So if you don’t have tahini, or maybe it’s just not your thing, try adding your leftover houmous instead. If you do, let us know how you get on! 🙂 For those a little weary of using tahini (or lime), try adding a little, tasting, adding and tasting as you go!

We only used one tin of beans, yes ‘tinned’ (kick our butt back to the shop to buy more dried beans!), but would definitely add twice as much next time around. You’ll also notice that we were trying to be ‘artistic’ with the garnishes, but all the toppings ended up being ‘super tasty additions’; we added thin slices of raw red onions every day! 

We thoroughly recommend curling up with a bowl of this soup… accompanied with a big hunk of crusty multi-grain (or just your favourite!) bread.

Happy cooking! 🙂

 

Quick Foodie Facts:

• Carrots are a cheap, versatile, delicious and a nutritious root vegetable that come in a variety of colours! Enjoy them raw or cooked in a sweet or savoury dish! They’re a great source of Vitamin A and fibre and also contain: Vitamin C, calcium, potassium (just to name a few!) amongst many other great nutrients! 

• Tahini is a delicious and ‘calorific’ paste made from sesame seeds and oil. It’s a great source of: B-Vitamins, minerals (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc) and Mono & Poly Unsaturated fats!

It’s a staple in many cuisines including but not limited to: Cypriot, Greek, Middle Eastern and North African. It can be served au natural (as a dip or seed-based spread!) or as a flavouring component to soup, sauces, salad dressings, houmous, dips, baked goods, desserts or even as an egg-free binder for egg-free or plant-based cooking and/or baking! Check out some of our other recipes that include tahini for some further inspiration! 

 

 

Ingredients

+++++++++900g             Carrot
+++++++++500g             Sweet Potato
+++++++++200g             Banana Shallots
+++++++++5g                   Garlic Clove (1 fat one!)
+++++++++1.5L                Vegetable Stock (low-salt/GF if required)
+++++++++½ tsp             Ground Coriander (1-2g)
+++++++++½ tsp             Ground Turmeric (1g)
+++++++++                       Ground Black Pepper
+++++++++2                     Limes
+++++++++1/3 cup          Tahini
+++++++++240-480g     Cooked Butter Beans (1-2 tins or 120-240g Dried/Cooked)
+++++++++200ml           Unsweetened Almond Milk (fortified)

Need an easy-print recipe? Print here. 🙂

 

Directions

Wash, peel, trim the ends and roughly slice the carrots. Wash, peel and roughly chop the sweet potato. Peel and roughly slice the shallots. Peel the garlic.

 

 

• Heat 1.5L of water in a large non-stick pot over a medium heat. Bring to a boil.

• Add the stock. Whisk to dissolve. Add the carrot, sweet potato, shallots, garlic, 1-2 g ground coriander and 1g ground turmeric. Season it with a few grinds of black pepper. Stir together. Cover with a lid. Bring back to a boil. Simmer and cook for about 8-10 mins or until vegetables have softened.

• Remove from the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.

 

In the meantime, wash the limes, grate some zest (as much as you like, but we used the zest of both limes!) and then juice them.

 

A. Transfer the soup mixture (as much as possible!) into a blender. Add the lime zest and juice and tahini.
B. Blend until smooth and creamy.
C. Drain and wash the beans (if applicable) and place them into a pot or large and resealable container (as we did for our meal prep).
D. Transfer the puréed soup into the pot or container. Repeat steps one and two until all of the soup has been puréed.
E. Add the DF milk into the blender (when you have finished puréeing the soup). Quickly pulse to help remove any bits of soup stuck to the sides of the blender.
F. Transfer the DF milk into the soup.
G. Stir together. Taste and season it as necessary.

Tip: Don’t have a blender? Use a food processor or a hand-held stick blender and blend the soup in the pot instead!

 

 

Warm the soup in a pot over a medium-low heat and do not allow to boil (if applicable).

Ladle the soup into a serving bowl. Garnish with fresh coriander, sliced onion, seeds, a wedge of lime or a piece of dehydrated lime, a drizzle of tahini or whatever takes your fancy! Serve with a large piece of warmed multi-grain crusty bread, pitta or toast.

Enjoy!

 

Refrigerate any leftover soup in an air-tight and resealable container; reheat and consume within 3-4 days. Alternatively, freeze the soup in one or more containers; defrost and reheat within 1-2 months.

Recipe updated: 19/02/16