This winter, try these Ayurvedic soup recipes which are simple and comforting

Soups are everyone's go-to comfort food, especially in winter. A bowl of hot soup is something we don't miss, including at least one meal a day. Soups are warm in winter and help build the immune system to cope with the chilling cold. Here are three easy-to-make healthy and heartwarming recipes that you can make at home to find warming comfort.

Purple Sweet Potato Coconut Soup

This soup is best for activating the Chakra

Ingredients

1 tsp coconut oil, ½ medium yellow onion or fennel bulb, chopped, fresh ginger root (1/2-inch piece), thinly sliced, 1 cup full-fat coconut milk, 1 cup vegetable broth, 2 small purple sweet potatoes, baked, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ¼ tsp sea salt, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, to garnish

Method:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and ginger, and sauté, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until tender.

• Whisk in coconut milk and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

• Scoop sweet potato flesh from skins and cut into ½-inch chunks. Add to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes.

• Blend to a smooth purée using an immersion blender, or let cool and purée in batches with a regular blender. Stir in lemon juice, and season with salt.

• Serve topped with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

Creamy Beet Soup

This soup is best to for activating the Crown Chakra.

Ingredients

3 medium purple beets, tops removed, 2 tsp sesame, coconut, or grapeseed oil, 1 yellow onion or fennel bulb, chopped, 3 garlic cloves, minced (reduce or replace with ¾ tsp asafetida for pitta), 1 quart vegetable broth, 1 tsp freshly grated ginger, ½ cup cashews, soaked and drained, ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste, ⅔ cup cashew sour cream (see below), to serve.

Method:

• Heat oven to 400°. Place beets in a large Dutch oven or baking dish. Cover and roast for 1 hour, until easily pierced with a fork. Let cool. Remove the skins (they should slip off easily when rubbed), and chop beets.

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until transparent, 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

• Stir in vegetable broth and roasted beets. Bring to a boil, and cook until beets are heated through. Remove from heat, and let cool.

• Working in small batches, transfer beet mixture to a blender and purée with ginger, cashews, turmeric, salt, and pepper until smooth. Transfer soup back to pot, and cook over medium heat, until hot.

• Serve topped with a large dollop of cashew sour cream.

Spirulina Cream of Cauliflower Soup

This soup is best to keep your heart healthy

Ingredients:

2 cups baby spinach, packed, 1 avocado, pitted and peeled, ½ English cucumber, roughly chopped, 1 small zucchini, chopped, ½ cup mint leaves, packed, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, plus more to taste, ¼ cup raw almonds, soaked overnight (optional), ¼ tsp sea salt, plus more to taste, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste, 1 garlic clove (omit for pitta), watermelon radish, for garnish (optional)

Method

• In a blender, combine all ingredients with 2½ cups water, and blend on high until smooth and creamy, 30–60 seconds. Add more water to thin out soup if desired.

• Add more mint, lime juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

• Serve immediately, garnished with radish or cucumber.

The recipes are from Sahara Rose Ketabi's new cookbook, Eat Feel Fresh: A Contemporary Plant-Based Ayurvedic Cookbook.