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Carrots are one of Ayurveda’s favorite vegetables, and suitable for any dosha.
Carrots are sweet, nourishing, highly alkalizing, easy-to-digest, and full of fiber.
When cooked, carrots are primarily sweet. When raw, they are also slightly bitter, and even pungent.
Overall, carrots’ thermal energy is cooling, which makes them perfect for cooling the blood in summer.
In this recipe, carrots are combined with coconut milk, which is also cooling. In moderate and right quantities for an individual, coconut milk is a rich, healthy fat that supports liver and digestive health.
Since the foundation of this soup is cooling, we can afford to add some warming spices for digestive support and overall balance.
Garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and chili add warmth, as well as anti-inflammatory effect. Coriander is neutral and excellent for removing toxins. Cilantro is cooling and balancing for all three doshas.
The use of Thai red curry paste adds exotic flavor from Kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, shallots, and chili.
I recommend Thai Kitchen’s red curry paste, which is readily available on Amazon for a reasonable price.
Carrot soup by dosha
PACIFIES VATA
Carrots, coconut milk, and the gentle spices in this soup pacify Vata with their sweet, grounding, and warming qualities. Vata types might consider using broth instead of water, and using the entire can of coconut milk to increase nourishment.
PACIFIES PITTA
Pitta’s also benefit from carrot’s alkalizing and beta-carotene content, which is metabolized by the body into vitamin A.
Vitamin A nourishes the liver, skin, and eyes, and purifies the blood, reducing inflammation and helping to stabilize blood sugar.
For Pitta, the one cup of coconut milk listed in the recipe is the right amount. Coconut milk soothes an overheated and agitated liver.
MODIFY FOR KAPHA
Kapha types might find this soup a little heavy. Definitely minimize the coconut milk used (you could even leave it out), use water instead of broth, and consider increasing the quantity of spices. If it’s still too heavy, reduce your portion size.
Coconut milk tips
Coconut milk can be challenging to cook with, as it can easily separate. If this happens, you can still eat this soup. It just won’t look as beautiful.
Separation is more likely to occur is you use low-fat coconut milk. I also find certain brands don’t work.
The world of coconut milk is confusing. To avoid this mess, I recommend that you get Thai Kitchen’s Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk. Surprisingly, it is available on Amazon at the most affordable prices, particularly if you buy a case of it.
You also want to follow the recipe instructions to turn off the heat before adding the coconut milk. You can gently simmer the milk, but avoid a rolling boil after adding coconut milk, as excessive heat can cause separation.
Coconut milk digestion
I also want you to consider the digestibility of coconut milk. What I have found as an Ayurvedic nutritionist is that people tend to have very strong feeling about coconut.
Some people love it, and some people are repelled by it.
This makes sense, because coconut is a strong kind of “food as medicine.”
Coconut is highly nutritive due to it’s medium-chain fatty acid content. It is also strongly cooling and waxy in nature. It calms a depleted and overheated liver, and it’s like a “balm for your nerves.”
What this means is that coconut milk is really nourishing and supportive—if you need nourishment—and as long as you don’t overdo your portions.
Overdoing it would mean that you overwhelmed your body’s capacity to digest it. Since it’s strongly cooling, you need a strong metabolism to digest it.
We’ve taken care of the digestive support in this soup, but if you eat this soup repeatedly for a few days in a row, it could be too much for you. Think “too much of a good thing.”
To avoid this, consider freezing portions of this soup in Souper Cubes for another day.
Always pay attention to how you feel after eating this soup (or anything), and adjust accordingly.
I personally find this soup deeply nourishing, anti-inflammatory, hydrating, and balancing—as long as I don’t overdo the coconut milk.
Thai Carrot Coconut Soup
Equipment
- soup pot
Ingredients
to start the soup
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
the spices
- pinch red chili flakes optional
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (Thai Kitchen brand)
the vegetables and broth
- 2 cups carrots roughly chopped
- 2 cups yellow summer squash (sub with zucchini), peeled and roughly chopped
- 5 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
the coconut milk
- 1 cup unsweetened organic full-fat coconut milk (Thai Kitchen brand)
to finish
- 1/2 teaspoon lime zest (from organic whole lime)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1/4 cup cilantro freshly chopped
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients
- Chop onions, garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the carrots and summer squash. Get out your spices, and have them ready by the stove.
Make the soup
- Heat a large soup pot on medium heat. Add avocado oil, onions, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions start to soften, then add red chili, coriander powder, turmeric, and curry paste. Sauté for 1-2 minutes while stirring and appreciating the aroma.
- Add chopped carrots, summer squash, vegetable broth or water, and salt. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Finish the soup
- Turn off the heat and blend the soup using an immersion blender until smooth. Alternately, you can use a regular blender, but be sure to leave room for steam to escape, and be extremely careful.
- Stir in the coconut milk. One cup is a little more than half a can of coconut milk. Reserve the remainder for smoothies or other recipes, or freeze. If you enjoy coconut milk, and/or you are trying to gain weight, feel free to add the entire can.
- Stir in the lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste, and adjust for salt. I added another 1/4 teaspoon salt and it was perfect.
