Immune Booster Recipe: Carrot and Red Pepper Soup


Creative Commons License photo credit: norwichnuts

Did you know that red peppers are packed with vitamin C? According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), red peppers have almost three times the amount of vitamin C as oranges!

You can create the colorful Carrot and Red Pepper Soup which is a marvelous immune booster containing beta-carotene from carrots and vitamin C from red peppers.

Here is the immune booster recipe from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM):

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup

Makes 4 1 1/2-cup servings

Directions

1 onion, chopped
6 carrots, thinly sliced
2 cups water or vegetable stock
2 red bell peppers
2 cups soymilk or other nondairy milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place onion and carrots into a pot with water or stock and simmer, covered, over medium heat until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes.

Roast bell peppers by placing them over an open gas flame or directly under the broiler until the skin is completely blackened. Place in a bowl, cover, and let stand about 15 minutes. Slip the charred skin off with your fingers, then cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds.

Blend the carrot mixture along with the bell peppers in a blender or food processor in several small batches. Add some of the soymilk to each batch to facilitate blending. Return to the pot and add lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Heat until steamy.

Nutrition Information

Per 1 1/2-cup serving:

Calories: 124
Fat: 2.3 g
Saturated Fat: 0.4 g
Calories from Fat: 16.9%
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Protein: 5.8 g
Carbohydrates: 21.9 g
Sugar: 11.2 g
Fiber: 4.9 g

Sodium: 418 mg
Calcium: 190 mg
Iron: 1.9 mg
Vitamin C: 102.8 mg
Beta-Carotene: 8274 mcg
Vitamin E: 3.5 mg

Recipe from Eat Right, Live Longer by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond M.S., R.D.

Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your
individual dietary needs.