Inner Glow Carrot, Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup

As a kid, I was totally into watching reruns of The Partridge Family on TV. Remember them? Come on, get happy? During this Partridge-fixation stage of my life, I read somewhere that the actress who played Laurie Partridge (Susan Dey! also of LA Law, another childhood fave of mine because I was a total weirdo) ate so many carrots that she literally turned orange. For about a year, I was leery of any carrots that ended up on my dinner plate.

It’s actually not an urban legend—eating carrots and other vegetables with high amounts of carotenoids can turn your skin orange. But you have to eat a ton of them for that to happen. However! Eat them on a regular basis in moderation and your skin will have a healthy glow. Don’t believe me? BOOM: science.

With both carrots and sweet potatoes, this soup is loaded with carotenoids to give you that glow—and vitamin A, a potent antioxidant to help fight free radical damage. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also turmeric in this soup, which has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Garnish with a small handful of nuts and seeds for healthy fats and you have all the ingredients you need for a gorgeous glow.

Photo and recipe by Ana Stanciu

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Inner Glow Carrot, Sweet Potato & Red Lentil Soup

With carotenoids for a gorgeous glow, anti-inflammatory turmeric, and healthy fats, this creamy soup has all the ingredients for healthy skin.

Course: Soup

Keyword: beauty

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Ana Stanciu

Ingredients

• 2 large carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 sweet potato peeled and cubed
• 1 small onion quartered
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes optional
• 1 cup cooked red lentils
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth warmed
• 1/2 cup lite coconut milk
• Chopped nuts seeds and cilantro, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the carrots, potato and onion with with olive oil and spices. Roast for 30-40 minutes, or until softened and just beginning to brown, stirring halfway through cooking time.
• Transfer the roasted vegetables into the blender; add the lentils, broth, and coconut milk and blend until smooth and creamy, adding more liquid if needed for a thinner consistency.
• Divide into 2 bowls and serve topped with nuts, seeds, and chopped cilantro, if desired.