Carrots are a very versatile vegetable, and you should eat them often for their beneficial properties.
Juicy, crunchy carrots can be used in so many delicious dishes. These nutritious dishes are also good for the stomach and support weight loss.
Carrots are one of the vegetables that are even healthier when cooked than raw, although both are often worth including in the diet.
Carrot dishes in the diet
This root vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, which is used by the body as vitamin A, and is also an excellent source of fiber. It helps fight constipation and protects the heart by reducing cholesterol. Its high potassium content helps to eliminate excess water.
It is also very low in calories, with a medium-sized carrot containing only 25 calories. It has also been shown to inhibit obesity and reduce body fat. It also helps weight loss due to its high fiber content, which gives a long-lasting feeling of fullness and also reduces appetite. Fortunately, carrots are a versatile ingredient in the kitchen and easy to incorporate into your diet – below, we will present some very clever ways.
Carrot soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1 diced potato
- 450 g carrots, peeled and diced
- 1.2 liters vegetable stock
- 1 handful fresh coriander
Preparation
Sauté the onion in the oil until translucent, then add the ground coriander and chopped potatoes and cook for another minute. Then add the carrots and vegetable stock to the pot. Cook until the contents start foaming, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes. You can enjoy the soup it as it is, but if you prefer a creamier version, you can blend it. Season with salt and pepper.
Pickled carrots
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons non-iodized salt
- 700 ml water (preferably purified)
- 680 g carrots
Preparation
Mix the water with the salt, wash and peel the carrots, and cut them lengthways. Place the carrot slices in two sterilized jars the tightest possible. When ready, pour the salted water over the carrots, covering them completely. Screw the tops on to the jars, but not too tightly. Leave them at room temperature for 24-48 hours. After 24 hours, open the lids and check to see if fermentation has started. In this case, small bubbles should appear and the smell should resemble sauerkraut. If all goes well, place the jars in the fridge door to ferment further. The pickled carrots will be ready to eat in 1-2 weeks. They are an excellent source of probiotics to restore your gut flora!
Beet pesto
Ingredients
- 360 g carrots
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 40 g toasted walnuts
- 1,4 g non-iodized salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
Preparation
Place the carrots, lemon, walnuts and salt in a food processor and grind until they turn into a coarse-grained mass. Then scrape off any bits stuck to the sides of the bowl with a spoon and gradually add the oil, through the feed tube of a food processor if you have one, or in 2-3 batches if you don’t. Keep chopping until you get a nice, homogeneous consistency. Season to taste. Pesto is excellent for salad dressing or pasta sauce.