Dr. Igor’s Best Carrot & Hemp Soup Recipe

It’s almost that time of year – soup, soup and more soup please. One of the best comfort foods come fall and winter time, is a delicious warm bowl of soup. Everyone seems to turn to chicken noodle when that comfort craving hits, but we have a new-found favorite for you. Read on for Dr. Igor’s best carrot and hemp soup, a healthy yet hearty soup that has so many health benefits it may surprise you! 

Carrots are one of the greatest immune boosting vegetables out there. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, specifically vitamin C, carrots are a known to boost immunity and work with the body’s white blood cells to protect against outside toxins and influencers. Carrots similarly aid in digestion while lowering blood pressure and aiding in the prevention of heart disease. When combined with hemp hearts, the health benefits of exponential. These two powerhouse ingredients deliver a heart healthy soup, packed with antioxidants and flavor alike. Let the comfort food commence. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. of carrots, washed, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoons each of hemp and olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• ¼ cup of hemp hearts
• ½ onion, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, peeled, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, peeled, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of chives for garnish

Preparation

1. Preheat an oven to 400F.
2. Toss the carrots in a large bowl with the hemp oil, olive oil and salt. Place them on a parchment paper lined baking tray and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes.
3. While the carrots are roasting, add the butter in a large stock pot and heat it up to medium low. Add the hemp, onions, celery, garlic and ginger to the pot, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the turmeric, broth and white pepper and bring to a boil.
4. Transfer the roasted carrots into the pot covered with a lid and turn it down to simmer for about another 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.
5. Using a blender, transfer the carrot  soup and puree until smooth and there are no more lumps. Add the cream, blend once more for a few seconds until combined and transfer the soup back into the pot to heat up.
6. Shut off the heat, ladle the soup into bowls, top with more hemp oil, hemp hearts and chives. Enjoy!

Tips

• For a completely vegan version, replace the butter with more oil, sub the chicken broth for a veggie stock, and add unsweetened almond milk in place of the cream!