Is Turmeric the New Kale?

By Melissa Schlenker

Have you tried turmeric? This powerful spice has been touted for so many benefits (reducing inflammation, improving circulation and digestion, preventing cancer, warding off viruses) – how can you not? Unless you are on certain medications (blood thinners, for example), it might be worth a try.  It seems to be the healthy super-spice of the moment, with recent features in Oprah Magazine and on the Today Show.  If you want to try turmeric in everything from a bedtime drink to a face mask, check out this post on the Wellness Mama blog.  My colleague swears by this pre-bed Paleo turmeric drink to help with insomnia.

At our house, we’ve been finding new ways to use turmeric in recipes and this soup recipe is one of our favorites.  It may officially be Spring, but is has been cold!  Soup will be on our menu until June.

Through all the cooking, tasting and eating we have done with turmeric, we have found that it does have one downside:  staining properties.  We had to work hard to get the yellow spots out of our white kitchen island and even our granite countertops.  And one thing that it stains permanently?  Elastics on braces!  My daughter’s white and blue elastics turned yellow and green – and never turned back.  I asked her if it meant that she would give up eating this soup.  Her response?  No way! She’ll take the soup!  

This soup is incredibly creamy (without any cream added to the recipe).  We also added some cracked black pepper, which (along with oil) reportedly enhances the health benefits of turmeric.

Creamy Carrot Turmeric Soup

A simple vegan recipe from Feastingathome.com.

1 Tablespoon coconut oil (or vegetable oil or olive oil)

½ cup chopped shallots (2 shallots or ½ an onion)

2 Tablespoons chopped, peeled turmeric (if using ground turmeric, start with 1 tsp and add to taste)

4 garlic cloves, rough chopped

1 pint fresh carrot juice (or 2 cups veggie or chicken stock)

1 lb chopped carrots

½ tsp salt, then more to taste

¾ - 1 can coconut milk

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp apple cider vinegar or lime

½ tsp soy sauce

1 tsp maple syrup

Pinch or 2 or cayenne to taste

Garnish with mint, cilantro or edible flowers

For cooking instructions, see the recipe at the Feasting At Home blog.

Question of the Day

Have you tried turmeric? As a supplement or in recipes? What do you think?

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