By now, most of us have just about had our fill of Christmas dinners, mince pies and Celebrations boxes. After days (or weeks) of incredible, rich food, we’re feeling slightly sluggish and more than a little bloated. 

With New Year on the horizon, now’s the perfect opportunity to give your gut some proper TLC in the form of this warming, bloat-busting soup. For years, ginger has been used as a digestive aid thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory properties. It’s known to be effective against nausea (so this soup might be one to make on New Year’s Day), as well as helping to speed up the passage of food through the stomach. One study found that consuming ginger before a main meal significantly improves symptoms of indigestion – making this soup an ideal starter.

Ginger aside, this soup is also packed with carrots (rich in retinol) and Chinese five spice. That’s a mix of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns and fennel seeds – all spices packed with antioxidants and linked to digestive health, regulated blood pressure and lower blood sugar. 

Pistachios are a key feature of this recipe, providing both a creamy topping and a crunchy body to the soup. Again, the nuts are linked to good gut health thanks to their prebiotic properties. They’re also rich in vitamin B6 and potassium.

Pistachio cream

1 cup pistachios, roasted and lightly salted

2 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup water

Soup

3 tbsp butter (or plant-based alternative)

454g carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp chopped green onions, green parts only

¼ tsp Chinese five-spice powder

½ tsp salt

2 cups chicken or veg stock

1 cup water

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp lemon or orange zest

½ cup crushed pistachios

To serve

Coriander

Chopped chives

Crushed pistachio

To make the pistachio cream

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, adjusting the amount of water to the desired consistency. 

2. Set aside while you make the soup.

To make the soup

3. Melt the butter in a pan over a medium heat. 

4. Add the sliced carrots, onion and green onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened (which should take about 6-8 minutes). 

5. Add Chinese five-spice and salt. Stir in the stock, water, grated ginger and lemon or orange zest. 

6. Now reduce the heat and simmer until carrots are softened. 

7. Pour soup into a blender and blend until smooth. 

8. Stir in the pistachios.

To serve

9. Now pour the soup into individual bowls and top with a generous amount of pistachio cream.

10. Garnish with the coriander, chopped chives and more crushed pistachios.

Recipe by Martin Yan on behalf of American Pistachio Growers.
Images: American Pistachio Growers