I try to limit my social media interaction to just one or two venues since keeping up with all that is just … too much. So even though Pinterest is like eye candy for the visually inclined (that would be me) and I use it more as a digital filing cabinet than an active place to engage, every now and then, I click.
Such was the case the other day when I spotted a gorgeous bowl of soup beckoning me. I clicked (gasp) and … into the rabbit hole I went.
Turns out the soup was part of a detox program (I should have clicked away right there, but the colors! Oh the colors.) First, I am morally opposed to using detox and soup in the same sentence. For me, savoring a bowl of soup is a holy experience. I do not eat food to detox my body, I eat food to nourish it. If we consistently (most of the time) choose nourishing foods there will never be any reason to cleanse. Yay! Now that I have that off my chest, the recipe.
I pretty much reinvented the whole thing so I’m not even going to link the recipe that inspired this adventure because this one is sooooooo much better and yes, it’s FULL of warming spices for those of you who are enjoying a blustery winter (it’s still rather balmy here in Northern Virginia). And, it’s loaded with antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory ingredients so if that entices you to try it, please take note.
I know, you can barely see the broth!
Winter-Warming Vegetable Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
• 2 generous tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 of a red or yellow onion, diced
• 1 small leek (cleaned thoroughly and sliced, tender part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 1 small head cauliflower florets
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned if out of season, I used grape tomatoes)
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 teaspoon turmeric (powdered or grated fresh)
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 8 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
• 2 cups baby kale or Swiss chard, de-stemmed and torn in pieces
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn (optional)
• 1-2 cups purple, white or Savoy cabbage, chopped
• juice from 1/2 of a small lemon (or more if you want to taste the lemon) The lemon juice in this recipe is simply here to brighten the flavors in the soup.
Directions
Sauté onion, leeks and garlic in olive oil, stirring occasionally for approximately 2-3 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes and fresh ginger. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, adding in some broth if needed. Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper plus salt and pepper to taste.
Add the vegetable broth or chicken stock and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Add in the kale, cabbage and lemon juice in the last 2-3 minutes of simmering. Veggies will be delightfully crunchy and a little softer each day as you enjoy the leftovers for lunch or subsequent dinners.
And the leftovers are pretty divine, too. Enjoy.
What’s cooking in YOUR kitchen?
