Its National Soup Month - Let's Celebrate!

Happy National Soup Month!!!

🍲 It is full week of soupsiration! 🍲 First let’s talk soup history real quick…

According to DrRosane, “historical evidence suggests that soup dates all the way back to 20,000 BC. At that time, soup was commonly cooked in watertight baskets on top of heated rocks. The soup we know today appeared in 16th century France, where it was sold by street vendors as an antidote for physical exhaustion. Then, in 1765, a Parisian entrepreneur opened up the first known official soup shop.” 🍲

Some reminders about soup:

1. Eating soup before a meal kick starts your digestion and helps things breakdown easier in your meals following. So a small CUP of soup or broth before your meal is excellent!

2. With that said… the quality of your soup is imperative! Broth-based soups are the best - try to stay away from heavy cream soups or those that come in cans! Most times those are loaded with sodium - which can be very detrimental to your health.

3. Use the freshest ingredients possible. The more goodness you can add to the soup, the better. Adding things like pasta is not always best since it is processed and many times contains gluten, which can have adverse affects on the body that you might not even know about. (We will talk about alternate ingredients through the week).

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Ok on with the soups! I am going to start with a basic, but favorite soup - simple, but delicious and packs tons of benefits! The goal is to make this recipe simple so that you can easily do it!

Vegetable Miso Soup

What are the benefits!?😀

1. Broth based so it is hydrating.

2. Great for getting digestion moving and ready to break down additional foods you may consume with the soup! A lot of times this is why they serve miso soup prior to sushi - the good bacteria from the miso help to control anything not so good that might be coming from the raw fish in your sushi roll. So as long as you know the restaurant serves quality miso soup (you can ask them) - don’t skip it! Think of it as your pro-biotic :)

3. Tons of green vegetables, which provide tons of antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, minerals, calcium, magnesium, and folic acid. If you suffer with anxiety, depression, or are trying to get pregnant, greens are a good addition to your diet! Most important thing when it comes to greens is to have variety. Too much of the same thing - even a good thing - can have adverse affects.

4. Miso - which is a fermented product. This provides you with a healthy dose of probiotics! Helps to heal the gut and improve digestive health. (Just make sure not to heat it up too much or you kill off all the good bacteria!)

5. Seaweed - this baby will pull those toxins out of your body and provide you with a ton of Omega 3!!! Yes this is the Omega you want to get more of! Contains protein, antioxidants, and has iodine (which promotes proper thyroid production! Wakame seaweed particularly is also high in calcium and iron. So don’t overestimate this little green plant. :) Just make sure to purchase a good brand.

Serves 1

Recipe 😀 1 tsp. olive oil (or skip it all together) 2 Tbsp. onion, chopped 1 tsp. garlic, finely chopped 1 small carrot, julienne 1 small celery, julienne 1 tsp. ginger, peeled and grated (or you can use dried if you prefer) 2.5 cups filtered water 1/4 cup bok choy, cut into 1 inch long thin strips (approximate - don’t stress over it!) 1/4 cup rainbow chard, cut into 1 inch long thin strips (approximate - don’t stress over it!) 1/8 cup shiitake mushrooms (optional, but they provide a great source of Vitamin D and B12!) 1 Tbsp. Wakame seaweed (don’t leave this one out!) 1 Tbsp. sliced green onion 1 Tbsp. chickpea miso (To prepare miso, mix it with 2 Tbsp. warm water (not hot!) until it is dissolved). Add another .5 Tbsp if you like it more intense for flavor.

Heat oil in soup pot on medium heat. Add onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, and celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water an simmer on low for 20 minutes (or just until the vegetables are tender). Add bok choy, chard, and mushrooms. Stir and simmer for about 7 minutes. Add seaweed. Remove from heat and add green onion and miso mixture. Let sit for a few minutes. Drizzle some lemon juice on top if you would like. Enjoy!

Any questions? Comments?

Try different veggies! Experiment! I would LOVE to see what you come up with! 😘

(Disclaimer: All the information in this post is for informational purposes and is not intended to treat or cure disease. Always check with your doctor before implementing a new diet.)