Curried Carrot & Quinoa Soup

I (a) like curry, and (b) feel a little under the weather, and this turned out to be a pretty excellent feel-better soup. Basically, it’s chicken noodle soup for the vegetarian.

The heat and spice help you cough more and clean things out, and it feels good in your tummy, but the cayenne pepper & garlic here also have some mild benefits in terms of improving bloodflow, assisting digestion, minimizing inflammation, and heling to boost the immune system. Hey, every little bit helps.

The quinoa is optional; a good source of protein, it’s also the noodle equivalent in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 cups dry quinoa (half normal, half red quinoa is ideal) – optional
• 3 Tbsp peanut (or other vegetable) oil
• 3/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard seeds (I used yellow mustard)
• 1/2-1 tsp curry powder (I used the Spice Hunter “hot curry blend;” Madras works as well, but if you use that or “whatever” curry powder, cut back a bit on the honey or increase the cayenne, as you like)
• 1 1/2 inch cube (about 1 Tbsp) fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (or you can get 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the non-sugar-coated candied stuff and mince it fine)
• 1 clove garlic (more if you’re really sick and/or like garlic), minced finely