A Soup For All Seasons
In her book Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon quotes a South American proverb, “Good broth resurrects the dead”.
Overshooting, perhaps...
But still, there is something about a good soup that satisfies so deeply, hitting the intersection of good tasting and good-for-you.
Feel like you’re coming down with something? Spring allergies have you irritated and itchy? GI bloating from too much indulgence? Premenstrual? Check, check, and check. In my practice, I give this recipe to women recovering from the hormone overload of IVF egg retrievals, patients with immune challenges and digestive conditions.
What’s In It for Me?
Most green vegetables are a rich source of minerals, nutrients, and fiber.
Dark green leafy veggies support liver function to breakdown hormones.
Ginger is a powerful motility aid and warming, circulatory spice, benefitting digestion.
Miso adds beneficial gut bacteria.
Bone broth (if using) is a light digestible source of protein, that contains beneficial elements for our gut lining.
With that, I offer you this wellness recipe, that fits most any health bill.
Recipe
-8-10 cups bone broth, chicken or veggie stock.
-2-3 bunches of various greens (kale, collards, bok choy, swiss chard, cabbage, etc.), chopped
-5-10 slices fresh ginger depending on your taste
-1-5 cloves of garlic, smashed, depending on taste
-Other desired veggies. Good additions include onions, celery, carrots or mushrooms, chopped.
-For heartier soup add chicken, organic tofu cubes or sausage. You can use cooked from a previous meal, or use fresh/raw.
For raw tofu: cut into 1” cubes.
For chicken: Thighs are juicier and their fat adds richer flavor, but use what you’ve got. Whether using thighs or breasts, simmer them whole. Thicker breasts need longer cooking time. You’ll remove them with tongs after cooking to shred into bitesize pieces.
Try fresh sausage with the mirepoix version below.
Bring broth to a simmer while chopping veggies. Add greens, veggies, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Add other flavor profiles you like (tamari sauce or fresh squeezed lemon for example). Simmer ~10 minutes. Add in your protein choice and cook at a medium simmer, at least 10 minutes for chicken and pork. Tofu just needs to be heated through and absorb flavors. Remove whole chicken thighs or breasts with tongs when cooked through and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add more salt and/or pepper to taste.
For a more layered approach, first cook a mirepoix: Heat 1 TSBP olive oil and brown sausage for about 5 minutes. Next add chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Now you add your broth, greens, ginger and additional flavoring, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
To add beneficial probiotics: Stir in 1-2 TBSP miso to your bowl until dissolved. Add AFTER cooking, when soup is hot but not boiling. (Adding traditionally fermented miso to boiling fluids kills the beneficial bacteria.) Miso Master is traditionally fermented and typically available at Whole foods or other health foods stores.
