I am
studiously avoiding the bathroom scales because I know that after a Christmas
of feasting it will more than likely say: “Gerroff, ya great lump!”
I got brilliant
advice from a friend on how to lose weight instantly: “Turn the scales back 5kg on the 1st of January!” Unfortunately my
bathroom scales are digital and they refuse to tell even the whitest of white lies. L If I’m to swap the slightly cuddlier post-Christmas me for a healthier
lower-fat me ‘lite’, then it will be down to diet and exercise.
Luckily,
with the turn of the year (and following multiple overdoses of chocolate
truffles, mince pies, Christmas cake ...) I am craving healthy stuff – winter
salads, green vegetables al dente,
and soup, lots of lovely warming soup.
Today it is
bitterly cold so I’m thinking... the sweetness of carrots,
I’m thinking ... the warmth of cardamom
... the fresh zing of orange zest. So far, so good (tasty and reasonably healthy).
However... I can’t quite leave behind the craving for richness against
the harshness of winter, so I’m thinking a great big comforting swirl of nutty, creamy
coconut milk.
The response
from my coconut-detesting taste-tester? “Oh ! That’s good !”
 |
| Healthy stuff... |
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive (or 15g butter)
3 pods of cardamom, seeds only, crushed
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest (orange part only)
500g carrots, (prepared weight), peeled and sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 small clove of garlic, crushed
750ml good quality chicken stock
1 x 400ml tin of unsweetened coconut milk
Salt and white pepper to taste
Finely
chopped coriander leaf or parsley to serve, and some crusty white bread or a
delicious nutty wholemeal bread won't hurt
Method
Place the
olive oil (or butter) into a medium saucepan over a medium heat and add the
crushed cardamom seed. Fry gently for about a minute before adding the orange
zest, carrots, onion and garlic. Stir to coat in the oil (or butter), then turn
down the heat to low.
Cover and cook
gently without colouring for about 15 minutes, stiring every few minutes (if the
vegetables appear to be sticking, add a little more oil or butter and make sure
the heat is low enough – if the vegetables are sizzling, the heat is too high).
Next, add
the chicken stock and unsweetened coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer,
cover, and leave to cook gently for a further 15 minutes.
Finally,
puree the soup – a stick blender is the perfect tool for this job. Taste and add
salt and a little white pepper if necessary.
Serve with a
sprinkling of finely chopped parsley or corriander leaf, or get posh and
instead serve with parsley or corriander leaf oil artfully dotted on top.
Tuck in!