Super food recipe: chilled carrot and orange soup

For a refreshing and healthy cold soup, try this fusion of yogurt, herbs and two juices whose vibrant orange colour is the product of the cancer-fighting pigment beta-carotene.

Beta-carotene, found in abundance in carrots and other brightly coloured fruits and vegetables, has strong antioxidant properties and may help to protect against cancer. It is converted in the body to vitamin A, which helps to promote healthy skin and improve vision in dim light.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Cooking: 2 minutes

Serves 4

• 700 ml (2 3/4 c) carrot juice, chilled
• 150 g (2/3 c) plain yogurt
• Grated zest of 1/2 orange and juice of 1 orange, about 75 ml (1/3 c)
• 60 g (4 tbsp) snipped fresh chives
• 30 g (2 tbsp) chopped fresh tarragon
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) olive oil4 slices whole-grain bread

1.  Preheat the broiler to high. Pour the carrot juice into a large bowl and whisk in the yogurt until smooth. Add the orange zest, juice and chives, then whisk again. Ladle into four soup bowls.
2. Mix the tarragon with the oil. Toast the bread for one minute on one side under the broiler, then turn and lightly brush the untoasted side with the tarragon oil. Toast for another minute until golden and crisp. Season the soup with freshly ground black pepper to taste and serve.

• For a slightly thicker soup with a nutty flavour, cut crusts off three extra slices of whole-grain bread, and process the bread in a blender with the carrot juice, yogurt and chives.
• Fresh cilantro works well instead of tarragon.
• Try tomato juice in place of carrot juice and add a dash of hot sauce for a spicy tomato soup.

• You can make this soup in advance and chill for several hours in the fridge before serving.
• Add chopped tarragon to the oil well in advance to infuse it with the herb flavour, and then store it in an airtight jar in the fridge until needed.
• If you can't get carrot juice from your supermarket, make it with an electric juicer or in a blender. For this recipe, you will need one kilogram (two pounds) of peeled or scrubbed carrots. Juice the carrots according to the juicer directions or purée them in a blender. Add a little water if the mixture becomes too dry or the blades stick. Pour the carrot juice into a container and add 500 millilitres (two cups) of water. Let stand for 30 minutes, then strain through a fine-meshed sieve.

Each serving provides: 181 calories • 6 g fat • 1 g saturated fat • 26 g carbohydrates • 7 g protein • 3 g fibre.