Creamy Carrot, Potato & Turmeric Soup
A velvety, anti-inflammatory soup packed with fibre and prebiotics to nourish your gut microbiome every day.
Ingredients
- 400 g carrots (about 4 medium carrots)
- 300 g potatoes (skin on, well scrubbed)
- 1 medium onion (about 100 g) — replace with the green tops of 2 spring onions if following a low-FODMAP diet
- 2 garlic cloves — omit or replace with garlic-infused olive oil (removed before blending) if following a strict low-FODMAP diet
- 1 level tsp ground turmeric (about 2 g)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml)
- 800 ml vegetable stock, homemade or shop-bought (free from added onion and garlic for the low-FODMAP version)
- 200 ml light coconut milk or rice cream (for a creamy, dairy-free texture)
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A handful of toasted pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of olive oil, to serve (optional)
Instructions
Preparation Steps
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Prepare the vegetables. Scrub the potatoes thoroughly under cold running water — there's no need to peel them, as the skins are rich in beneficial fibre that supports healthy digestion. Cut them into roughly 2 cm cubes. Peel the carrots and slice them into rounds of even thickness (about 1 cm) to ensure they cook uniformly. Finely slice the onion and mince the garlic.
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Soften the aromatic base. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring regularly, for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for a further minute. This step draws out the flavours and makes the aromatics easier to digest.
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Toast the spices. Remove the pan from the heat or reduce to the lowest setting. Add the ground turmeric and ginger directly to the pan and stir immediately for about 30 seconds, coating the aromatics thoroughly. This dry-toasting technique intensifies the flavours and also improves the bioavailability of curcumin, thanks to the combination of gentle heat and the olive oil already in the pan.
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Add the vegetables and stock. Tip in the potato cubes and carrot rounds and stir well to coat them in the spiced oil. Pour over the vegetable stock — the vegetables should be fully submerged; top up with a little water if needed. Bring to the boil over a high heat.
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Simmer gently. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low–medium, partially cover the pan and leave to simmer for about 25 minutes. The vegetables should be very tender; check by inserting the tip of a knife into a potato cube — it should slide in without any resistance. A long, gentle simmer helps preserve the vitamins while making the soup easier on the digestive system.
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Blend the soup. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour in the light coconut milk or rice cream. Using a stick blender, blitz until completely smooth and velvety. For a partially textured soup — which retains more intact fibre and is slightly more filling — blend only two thirds of the mixture and stir the rest back in as it is.
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Adjust the seasoning. Return the pan to a very low heat. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper and turmeric to your liking. Stir in the fresh lemon juice: its acidity balances the natural sweetness of the carrots and potato, brightening the flavours without weighing on digestion. Warm gently for 2 to 3 minutes without allowing the soup to boil, so the aromas are preserved.
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Serve and enjoy. Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Finish with a light drizzle of olive oil — which further aids the absorption of curcumin — and a scattering of toasted pumpkin seeds for a boost of protein and zinc. Serve straight away.
💡 Gut-Friendly Tips
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Resistant starch and your microbiome: If you make the soup ahead of time, bear in mind that cooled potatoes develop higher levels of resistant starch, a natural prebiotic that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your colon. Feel free to prepare the soup the day before, refrigerate it, then reheat gently when needed.
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Strict low-FODMAP version: Replace the onion with the green tops of 2 spring onions, and omit the garlic or use only garlic-infused olive oil, removing it before blending. Check that your stock contains no onion or garlic powder. These adjustments make the recipe suitable for the elimination phase of the low-FODMAP protocol.
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Spice tolerance: If you have a particularly sensitive gut or are in a reintroduction phase, start with ½ tsp of turmeric and leave out the ginger the first few times you make this. Increase the quantities gradually in line with your personal tolerance.
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Storage: This soup keeps for 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, or for up to 3 months in the freezer. Always reheat gently over a low heat, adding a splash of water if needed.