SOCIAL

  eye recipe

Eye Recipe

Sweet Potato and Orange Pepper Soup

Optometrists and authors Barbara Pelletier and Laurie Capogna provide recipes — six times this year — from “Eyefoods: A Food Plan for Healthy Eyes,” so you can educate your patients about the link between nutrition and eye health.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil or canola oil

• ½ large onion, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 4 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 2 orange peppers, chopped

• ¾ cup white wine

• 1 orange peeled and chopped

• 2 tbsp fresh ginger or 2 tsp ginger powder

• 4 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock

• ½ cup whole-wheat croutons

• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1 Sauté onion, celery and carrot in oil on med-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.

2 Add sweet potatoes, orange peppers, white wine, orange and ginger. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring.

Eye Health Benefit: Sweet potatoes are high in beta-carotene. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is then converted into rhodopsin and photopsin by the rods and cones.

3 Add stock. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on med-low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and cooked through.

4 Remove from heat. Puree in a blender, food processor or using a hand blender. Add more stock or water as necessary to achieve desired thickness.

5 Return to low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to reheat.

6 Garnish with whole-wheat croutons and chopped parsley.

Tip: Chop raw baby spinach and place at the bottom of the bowl. Add hot soup. Let sit for a couple of minutes to soften spinach. Enjoy.

RECIPE COURTESY OF “EYEFOODS: A FOOD PLAN FOR HEALTHY EYES,” BY OPTOMETRISTS BARBARA PELLETIER AND LAURIE CAPOGNA.