With all this chilly weather, and the flu going around, I am reaching for the soup!  It's natural for our bodies to crave warm, grounding, soothing foods during the winter months, and this soup is my favorite for that, and for the healing properties in some of the ingredients.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium, or 1/2 of a large carrot, cut into large chunks
  • 1/4 medium daikon, cut into large chunks
  • 1/4 red onion, cut into large chunks
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 6-7 small broccoli florets
  • 2 Kale leaves deveined and ripped up
  • 1/2 a medium leek, cut into large chunks
  • Ginger juice to taste (grate a thumb sized piece of ginger and squeeze juice with your fingers)
  • Tamari to taste
  • 1 whole scallion roots and all, thinly sliced
  • Hiziki or toasted nori strips, optional

Method:

Bring 3 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot.  Add the carrot & daikon.  Reduce the heat to a simmer.  Add the red onion, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the celery, broccoli, kale, and leeks.  Add the ginger juice and Tamari to the broth to taste.  

Simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, but still slightly firm (about 5 minutes). Add the scallion, & hiziki or nori strips, and turn off the heat. 

Serves 2

Optional Additions

There are so many things you can add to this soup to make it your own: mushrooms, watercress, collards, bok choy, the options are endless!  You can even make this a miso vegetable soup by adding 2 to 3 teaspoons of miso paste at the end of cooking, allowing it to simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes.

*This recipe adapted from The Kind Diet.