Friday, September 21, 2012

Super Healthy Nutrient Dense Green Soup


  
Kale
Many of us love those healthy “green drinks” we have concocted for us on the spot at our local juice bars.  They’re so nutrient dense!   Alas, I’ve an economical way to get all those nutrients….in a soup. I’ve been preparing “green soups” for years because I believe them to be oh so healthy.  So, here is my recipe 
for nutrient dense “green” soup. 

1 bunch organic kale
½ bunch or about 12 leaves organic dandelion
    or swiss chard
1 bunch organic spinach
1 large carrot, chopped to ¼”
1 medium-large onion, chopped to ¼”
1 large celery stalk, strings removed,
      chopped to ¼”
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ eggplant, skin removed, cut into ½" cubes
1 small red potato, skin removed, cut in ½" cubes --
   (optional for a thicker soup)
1 cube Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Broth w/sea salt *  
    -- or 2 cups prepared organic vegetable broth
1-teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon dried coriander leaves
½ teaspoon curry powder
Salt and pepper

Thoroughly wash all greens and set in a colander. 
Remove tough lower stems on all the greens, then cut in 1” strips. 
Place in large bowl.

If using the Rapunzel vegetable broth cube, dissolve it in two cups
near boiling water.  Set aside.

In a 4-quart pot, heat 3 tablespoons veggie broth on medium 
high heat until it sizzles, then quickly add in onions.  Saute for
about 4 minutes until they are soft.  Then add garlic, carrot and 
celery and stir and sauté another 2 minutes.  
Then add eggplant and potato and stir and sauté 2-3 minutes until 
all veggies are soft.  Then add 8 oz (one cup) of the veggie broth.  
Stir.  Add kale, dandelion and ½ of
the spinach.  Stir.  Add remaining veggie broth and 2.5 cups water.  
Stir.  Add in turmeric, coriander or cilantro and salt, stir well.  
Bring to boil.  Then turn heat down and simmer for 18 minutes
until all is very tender. Stir in remaining spinach (this gives the soup 
a nice rich green color).   Remove from heat to cool down.  Put 90% 
of it in a blender.  (Leave the other 10% of vegetables in the pot.)  
Blend to puree then pour back into soup pot with remaining 
veggies.  Now you have a thick pureed soup with little veggie 
chunks too.

Season to taste with a little salt and very little pepper.

*available at better health food stores