Now that the holidays are soon approaching and the chill of autumn is in the air, some days my body simply feels too cold to juice. The ancient Ayurvedic Medicine teaches that there is a yin and yang to everything. Like opposites in the simplest terms, when we are cold our bodies need something warm, like soups. Likewise, when we are hot during the summer, our bodies crave more cooling, refreshing foods, like juices, melons or salads.
Like fresh juices or even smoothies, in the warmer seasons, when you make a healthy vegetable-based soup you are providing your body with all sorts of wonderful vitamins, minerals and nutrients in one delicious recipe. Prepared correctly, even kids love a good bowl of homemade soup when it’s cold or dreary outside. Adding spices, herbs or nutrient-dense enhancers like miso can significantly impact the flavor of your soup recipe and be the difference between a hit or miss at mealtime.
You can find some delicious varieties of store-bought organic soups, but one big benefit to making your own is being able to control the amount of sodium added. Another benefit is that you control the ingredients and can better suit them to your family’s taste buds. I have found many new soup recipes by simply tweaking other recipes and adding my own twist to them. For example, I love a creamy cauliflower soup but I season mine with nutmeg to spice it up.
Using kitchen tools like an immersion or high-speed blender make it possible to puree vegetables and stock into a creamy soup without adding dairy or calories. For example, when I make a creamy mushroom soup I like to blend the cooked mushrooms liquid and herbs and then add that back to the pot, giving it a new thicker consistency. I prefer to puree my Carrot Spice soup with the immersion blender and don’t have more things to clean up afterwards.
As you sit down to your holiday feast, this year take a moment to acknowledge what you are thankful for and consider those in the world who are less fortunate. We are truly blessed!
I am thankful for all of you, my family and friends, and wish you all a wonderful and bountiful Thanksgiving holiday!
Yours In Good Health!
