My local farmer’s markets has the biggest and best bunches of fresh herbs, I just cannot resist them and I love that for just a few dollars you can buy such a fresh, detoxifying, power packed ingredient!
Coriander is a true treasure trove of nutritional benefits:
- Coriander is a fantastic detoxifier of heavy metals, with levels of aluminium, mercury and lead all having been found to be reduced by taking daily coriander juice- get into it this Spring to kickstart your liver!
- For stimulating digestion and tresting digestive complaints such as bloating
- Coriander seeds and leaves have been actively investigated for their beneficial antimicrobial, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anxiolytic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant and anti-cancer properties
- In one study of eight herbs, coriander (as well as basil) contained the highest levels of beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and beneficial lutein and zeaxanthin
- Coriander seed oil also contains up to 70 percent linalool, with powerful cellular antioxidant properties also responsible for coriander’s pleasant smell
- Linalool also has sedative and anxiety-reducing properties, which explains why the seeds have also been valued for treating mild anxiety and insomnia.
- The leaves are also a rich source of beneficial flavonoids, polyphenols and phenolic acids. This includes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory kaempferol and quercetin. Quercetin is an antioxidant that many believe prevent histamine release — making quercetin-rich foods “natural antihistamines” and great for hay fever
- Kaempferol, meanwhile, may help fight cancer and lower your risk of chronic diseases including heart disease.
- The leaves of the plant are high in vitamins A, K, and C, as well as calcium.
- Coriander leaves may also help reduce pain in people with arthritis, a benefit attributed to the vitamins A and C, phenolic acids and polyphenols they contain. One phenolic component, ethanolic extract, was also shown to protect against liver damage.
Coriander is also delicious and so versatile in cooking, I throw it in everything from salads, to curries to chicken stock, with one of my favourite personal recipes being my Carrot and Coriander Soup. Teamed with carrots, this soup has a sweet and aromatic taste. The carrots give fantastic levels of fibre, antioxidants, Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin Bs too!
So down to business, the recipe
- In your blender blitz up a couple of large handfuls of coriander, one onion and a few cloves of garlic (to your taste), transfer to pan
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of ground coriander seeds
- Add olive oil, a few tablespoons and cook off until onion is soft and spices aromatic
- Add 1 kg of chopped and peeled carrots, 250mls of chicken stock and 250mls of water or just 500mls of water if you have no chicken stock, or until carrots are thoroughly covered
- Cook for approx 20 mins, or until carrots soft
- Transfer back to blender and blitz until smooth, or use a stick blender in the pan to blend until smooth
Enjoy with a slice of your chosen bread, top with natural yoghurt, or add cold shredded chicken for a protein fix, I hope you enjoy this nourishing and health giving simple soup 🙂
Victoria xoxoxox
Want to check out more of my recipes? See my Recipe Book or Easy Spring Detox! x
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