Cold winter air brings a new kind of beauty to the landscape, as well as fun fashion and a shift in the way we eat. Light summer meals tend to give way to heavier dishes that hit the spot in chilly weather, but this slow slide into what some affectionately call “eating season,” with large meals and numerous parties around the coming holidays, can be easily remedied with one versatile, fall/winter appropriate dish: soup.

Almost anything can be whipped up into a soup or stew, but the recipes below focus on skin-healthy ingredients to help keep your skin glowing well into the new year.

A few of our favorites include:

Carrot / Ginger Soup
According to the New York Facial Plastic Surgery Center, the beta-carotene that carrots are loaded with is converted by the body to vitamin A, an essential nutrient for healthy skin. On top of that, the ginger and turmeric included in this recipe are packed with antioxidants to give your skin an extra boost.

Cabbage Soup
This soup isn’t just skin friendly, it also makes use of a seasonal vegetable! Cabbage is readily available in the spring and fall, and is also rich in antioxidants, as well as Vitamins C and K.

Tomato Basil
Tomatoes contain both beta-carotene and lycopene, which help protect the skin against UV damage. Basil is packed with skin-friendly antioxidants that help to reduce the appearance of aging.

Use the recipes below, all fall and winter long, to stay warm and keep your skin glowing!

Carrot and Ginger Soup

Ingredients:

3 Carrots
1 White Onion
3 cloves garlic minced
1 inch Piece of Fresh Ginger finely grated
2 inch Piece of fresh Turmeric finely grated
4 cups (950ml) Vegetable Stock
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Method:

1. Canned Coconut Milk (for topping. Optional)
2. Black Sesame Seeds (for topping. Optional) Source
3. Roughly chop onion and carrots
4. Heat oil in a pot large enough to hold all of your ingredients
5. Sweat down the onions for approximately 3 minutes, or until translucent.
6. Add garlic, ginger, and turmeric and sauté for 1 minute
7. Add carrot, sauté an additional 2 minutes
8. Add veggie stock and simmer until the carrots are soft, approximately 20-25 minutes
9. Blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or carefully transfer to a standing blender.
10. Incorporate the lemon juice and serve, garnishing with coconut milk and/or sesame seeds.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients: 

One small cabbage : Purple or Green (cut in small pieces or shredded)
2 cloves of Garlic
1 onion (cut into thin slices)
1 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil
2 cups vegetable broth
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Few cashews or Almonds

Method: 

1. Lightly sauté all vegetables in a pan (keep the vegetables crunchy, do not overcook them as they will lose nutrients)
2.  Add salt and pepper to taste
3. Once the vegetables are sweaty add vegetable broth and simmer for several minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender or transfer carefully to a standing blender; blend until smooth.
5. Now add few cashews or almonds and blend again.
6. Garnish with parsley or coriander if desired. Source

Ingredients:

1.2 kg | 2 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
600 g | 1 1/4 lbs Grape (or Cherry) tomatoes, halved lengthwise
8 whole cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the back of a knife
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large yellow onion, chopped (optional)
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), deseeded and diced
1 potato (100 g | 3 oz), diced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, roughly torn

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 430°F | 220°C. Place tomatoes on a baking tray with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast for about 25 minutes, or until soft and charred on the tops.
2. While tomatoes are roasting, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium-sized pot/saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, peppers (capsicum) and potato; cook while occasionally stirring, until the onion is transparent and the potato begin to crisp on the outer edges (about 6-7 minutes). Stir the tomato paste through the potatoes and onion; pour in the broth/stock; season with extra salt; cover and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; simmer for about 15 minutes or until potato is just tender when tested with a fork. Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil to the broth (save 2 tablespoons of basil to use as garnish if you wish); continue to simmer until the basil is just soft (about 2 minutes). Blend soup using a stick blender until smooth.
4. Optional:Pour the soup through a strainer or colander to remove any skins and thick tomato pieces, for a smoother soup.
5. Sprinkle with extra basil or shaved parmesan if desired Source