Low-Glycemic Smoothies

I ruled out smoothies as a reasonable part of my diet quite some time ago.  With my hypoglycemia, all of the bananas, mangos, pineapple, and raw honey were decidedly counterproductive.  Blood sugar crash guaranteed.  I also discovered that soy protein powders weren’t a good option because of my hypothyroidism and female hormone imbalances.  Not to mention that smoothies didn’t seem to satisfy me for more than forty-five minutes.

Lately, however, I’ve been dallying with smoothies again.  They are one of the nutritional experiments to which I referred a few weeks ago.  It was The Truth about Beauty by Kat James that inspired me to give the ubiquitous smoothie another shot–but with a few twists.  So far, it’s working.  Here’s what I’ve been doing to make smoothies a viable option for me, blood sugar problems and all:

Base

OUT: soy milk (hormonal concerns), rice milk (too sweet), pasteurized milk (hard to digest, lower vitamin content, and exacerbates allergies), commercially sweetened yogurts (duh), skim milk

IN: 8 ounces of whole raw cow milk, raw goat milk, or whole kefir or yogurt made from said raw milks (homemade nut milks or diluted coconut milk would work too)

Fat slows down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, thus making the overall meal lower glycemic.  High quality dairy fat (from organic, grass-fed cows) also has many other health benefits, particularly in relation to fertility.  Kefir and yogurt are lower glycemic than plain milk because bacteria have already eaten most of the milk sugars (lactose) and converted them to lactic acid.

Fat

OUT: none, since the standard advice has been, “Fat is E.V.I.L.  Run away!”

IN: 1 to 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Not only does fat lower the glycemic index of the smoothie, it keeps you full longer.  Even better, coconut oil boosts the metabolism and supports the thyroid.  Nice!

Fruit

OUT: bananas, mangos, papaya, pineapple, and grapes

IN: just berries–strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries

Berries are high in fiber and low in sugar, making them a perfect choice for the hypoglycemic or diabetic.  I use them frozen.  Occasionally, I throw in a fresh pear or peach with the skin, both of which are still much lower in sugar than tropical fruits.

Protein

OUT: soy anything

IN: raw eggs from free-range hens or unsweetened hemp protein powder (a good-quality, unsweetened whey powder would work too; I just haven’t tried one yet)

Raw eggs from well-kept, free-range hens are extremely safe, contrary to popular belief.  They provide an excellent source of protein with lots of health benefits.  They are undetectable in a smoothie, so you don’t need to worry about taste or texture.  I add them in at the very end while blending on low speed.  Supposedly, blending eggs vigorously damages the proteins.  I don’t know if this is really true, but I figure, “Why not slow down the blender?”

Hemp protein may not taste great, but it surely packs a nutritional punch with GLA and tons of fiber.  I bought the Nutiva brand, which is available at a steep discount at Vitacost.

Fiber

OUT: is there any fiber in traditional smoothies?

IN: coconut fiber (also called coconut flour) and/or hemp protein powder

Like fat, fiber slows down our digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, which keeps blood sugar levels steady.  Raising blood sugar too quickly is often what leads to a blood sugar low, so a slow, steady rise in blood sugar is most desirable.

Sweeteners

OUT: sugar, unrefined sugar, maple syrup, honey, agave nectar

IN: stevia (I strongly prefer NuNaturals brand); xylitol and erythritol would also be good options, though I don’t particularly care for them myself (they make me feel thirsty)

Many people use agave nectar as a low-glycemic option, and I did too for a while.  But I’ve read enough unsettling information about it that I’m going to keep it out of my pantry for now.  The jury’s still out on it.

Extras

IN: a few leaves of lettuce or spinach, a greens powder

I don’t always add the greens, though I look forward to experimenting more with green smoothies in the future. 

 

Blending up these ingredients with a little ice has produced some very tasty and filling meals for me that don’t seem to lead to blood sugar lows.  I think it helps that it take me, easily, an hour to drink a smoothie.  I just sip on it steadily.  Only time will tell if smoothies will work for me long-term, but I’m quite happy at the moment. 

Do you have any other ideas or tips for low-glycemic smoothies?  What works for you?  I’m very interested to know!

Thanks for hosting Kitchen Tip Tuesday, Tammy!

Read Full Post »

The Ice Cream Kick Continues: Cheesecake Ice Cream

I know.  I eat a lot of ice cream.  I won’t deny it.  My former roommates could tell you stories about the ice cream they would buy and put in the freezer.  I would eat the ice cream, then go out and buy a replacement.  But they would leave it in there so long that I finally ate the replacement too, then had to buy another replacement.  Sigh.  I am not a person that can leave ice cream in the freezer, untouched, for weeks on end. 

Fortunately, my ice cream habits are far more moderate these days.  I eat it once a week, and lately, I’ve tried to eat only homemade ice cream (unless I’m a guest in someone’s home).  This allows me to avoid yucky ingredients like high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavorings and colors.  Even better, it means I can bypass pasteurized dairy in favor of coconut milk or raw milk and cream.  And now, because of the new stevia I ordered, I can make sugar-free ice cream at home that tastes outrageously good. 

This is big. 

In fact, one could almost consider this kind of ice cream health food, right?  It’s made of whole, raw dairy or coconut milk (both sources of important, healthy fats that are great for fertility), stevia (no effect on blood sugar and, as the extract of a sweet herb, no negative impact on the body), and natural flavorings like vanilla and fruit.  Hmmm.  Health food, indeed!

Still, since I want to keep my waist line, I’m sticking with once a week for now.  I don’t want to get carried away.  The ice cream pictured above, however, is almost enough to make me temporarily forget about my waist and fitting into my jeans.  Cheesecake ice cream is a beautiful–and dangerous–thing.  I’ve made it three times now, but last night’s batch was special because I used my new stevia.  I wrung my hands nervously while it churned because I wanted so badly for it to be good.  Lo and behold, it was still fabulous!  As I mentioned in the notes to the last stevia-sweetened ice cream, it didn’t have the caramelly depth you get with an unrefined sugar like Sucanat or Rapadura, but it was still wonderful.  It’s probably more like using plain white sugar, though I haven’t done that in so long, I don’t really remember.  In any case, if you don’t tell the people to whom you’re serving this ice cream that it doesn’t have any sugar in it, they’ll never guess.

A few notes: First, really do try to find raw milk for this recipe.  Go here for more information on why raw milk is so much healthier than pasteurized milk and for help finding a raw milk source in your area.  If you live in the Houston metro area, email me (alison [at] wholesomegoodness [dot] net), and I’ll tell you what I know.  Second, use an organic, cultured cream cheese if possible.  Cream cheese was originally a cultured product, but most companies these days make it without the healthful probiotics.  Organic Valley makes a wonderful organic, cultured cream cheese that I have been buying at my local grocery store.  If your market is not well stocked with healthy items, you may need to check out a health food store to find it.  Finally, never use Now, SweetLeaf, or a store’s generic brand stevia for this recipe.  Because it is sweetened 100% with stevia, only the best-tasting stuff will do.  I have tried several brands, and the only one I will use now is NuNaturals NuStevia (some health food stores carry it, but I order it online; shipping is free on orders over $35).

I served the cheesecake ice cream with a strawberry sauce, but I’ll wait to share that recipe as it still needs tweaking.

 

Sugar-Free Cheesecake Ice Cream

(adapted from this recipe found at www.epicurious.com, a great recipe resource)

1 1/2 cups whole raw milk
8 ounces organic, cultured cream cheese
4 packets NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend (or another form of NuNaturals NuStevia to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch sea salt (Celtic Sea Salt or Real Salt are ideal)

In a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth.  Follow your ice cream maker’s churning instructions.

Although you can eat this immediately after churning, I prefer to leave it in the freezer for 1.5 to 2 hours before serving.  If left longer than that, you may need to let it thaw on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before scooping.

Serves 4.

 

Related Posts

A Truly Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free Ice Cream Recipe
Paradise Found: Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream (No Cows’ Milk)
Products I Like: Teeccino (Recipes Too!) (Healthy Latte and Frappuccino Recipes)

Read Full Post »

A Truly Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free Ice Cream Recipe

Last Thursday, HMK asked for a completely dairy-free, sugar-free basic ice cream recipe that really works.  I got busy over the weekend and came up with this amazing solution.  I adored this ice cream.  My husband used the words ”crisp,” “vivacious,” and “sweet” when I asked him for his thoughts.  For my part, I found it light and refreshing–like sherbert.   I’m still in shock that ice cream with zero sugar can taste this good!  It’s a dream come true for this hypoglycemic, and it’s a perfect solution for diabetics and candida-sufferers too.  

This recipe is yet another variation on The Nourishing Gourmet‘s original Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream.  I have experimented before with the recipe, trying to reduce the sugar content by using part agave nectar and part stevia, but going 100% stevia has never worked.  That stevia aftertaste eventually becomes too overpowering.  The difference this time around is the brand of stevia.  I have tried several before, but nothing comes close to NuNaturals NuStevia.  Recommended by Kat James in The Truth about Beauty and by a friend, this stuff rocks!  I admit that it does not lend the same mellow, round sweetness to the ice cream that an unprocessed sugar like Rapadura or Sucanat would, but it does produce a light, sherbert-like sweetness without the dreaded stevia aftertaste.   

Please, please, please do not attempt to make this recipe without some fabulous stevia on hand.  Neither Now nor Sweet Leaf brand stevia will do the trick, and definitely don’t go for a store’s generic version.  I have never tried Body Ecology’s stevia, which is supposed to be better than most, but a friend who has tried them both find NuNaturals NuStevia superior.  NuNaturals offers a number of stevia products, including liquid extract in glass or plastic bottles, pure powdered stevia, powdered stevia in maltodextrin (to help with measuring), powdered stevia in erythritol (again, for measuring ease), and individual serving packets of stevia.  You may be able to find a limited selection of NuNaturals products in your local health food store, but ordering from them online may prove easier, in addition to giving you access to their other products, like xylitol, erythritol, and herbal formulas (the site is a diabetic or hypoglycemic’s paradise).  They even offer free shipping on order of $35 or more.  I used the NuStevia NoCarbs Blend packets for this recipe.  I cannot promise the same results with other forms of stevia, though you are more than welcome to experiment.  I’ll certainly be doing that myself.  Let me know what you try and how it turns out in the comments.  I’d love feedback on this one!

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (Dairy-Free & Sugar-Free)

12 oz (by weight, not volume) strawberries, fresh or frozen
2 14 oz cans coconut milk (do not use light varieties and watch out for preservatives in the ingredient list)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 or 4 packets NuNaturals NuStevia NoCarbs Blend

In a blender, combine the strawberries, coconut milk, and vanilla extract and blend until very smooth.  (It is not necessary to thaw frozen strawberries first as long as your blender is powerful enough to completely pulverize them.  As a bonus, using frozen strawberries will help the ice cream to freeze faster.)

Add three packets of stevia, blend, and taste.  If you would like additional sweetness, toss in the fourth packet and mix.

Pour the batter into your ice cream maker and follow the appliance’s freezing instructions.

Like most homemade ice creams, this one has the consistency of soft serve when finished and gets very hard after spending time in the freezer.  In the latter case, leave it out on the counter for ten or fifteen minutes to soften before serving.

Bon appetit!

Read Full Post »

Paradise Found: Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream (No Cows’ Milk)

Wow!  I can’t believe how great this recipe (slightly adapted from The Nourishing Gourmet) turned out!  Even though I can eat raw cows’ milk products with no problems, I will make this again and again.  I had to scramble to give it away before I ate the entire batch.  Fortunately, we have a five-year-old girl living next door who was recently diagnosed with a milk allergy.  I’m guessing she hasn’t had ice cream in a long time, so I took a generous serving over there for her gastronomic delight.  Then I shared some with our boarder.  All told, after my husband ate some too, I consumed a reasonable amount.  Thank goodness for friends and neighbors! 

Verdict: we all adored this ice cream.

It was wonderful soft-serve style straight out of the ice cream maker.  After about an hour of curing in the freezer, it was still fantastic.  Later than that, it got a bit too firm for my taste, but setting it out the counter cured that in a jiffy.

Although I will certainly experiment with this recipe, I want to go ahead and post it because it’s fantastic as-is, and I don’t want my friends to live without it any longer than absolutely necessary (that means you, Marie).  As you can see in the recipe below, I used half agave nectar and “half” stevia to sweeten the dessert.  In the future, I may try using all stevia.  Using these sweeteners makes this ice cream ideal for diabetics and hypoglycemics.  Agave nectar has a lower glycemic index than sugar (although there is some debate on agave’s overall healthfulness), and stevia has no impact on blood sugar at all (and zero calories), as it’s simply the extract of a sweet herb.

Other planned modifications include using melted unsweetened chocolate instead of cocoa powder [Update 9/7/08: This didn't work well texturally], adding a little vodka to the batter to keep it from freezing too hard, and adding chili and cinnamon for a Mayan twist [Update 9/7/08: The cinnamon was great!  Shredded coconut works nicely too].  I’ll definitely update this recipe with the results of my experiments.

An important note: do not attempt to use light coconut milk.  It will not produce the same texture or flavor, and, on top of that, you’ll miss out on the great health benefits of the medium-chain fatty acids found in coconut.  Also be careful not to accidentally pick up coconut cream, an entirely different and heavily sweetened product.  If even goats’ milk is a problem for you or a family member, use all coconut milk, which is how the recipe was originally written.  You can find agave nectar and stevia in your local health food store or Whole Foods-type market and some HEB locations.  The stevia hangs out in the supplements section. 

 

Chocolate Coconut Dairy-Free Ice Cream

(slightly adapted from a recipe by Kimi of The Nourishing Gourmet, a great blog with many healthy recipes)

1 can unsweetened coconut milk (I used Thai organic, which is a high-quality brand)
~1 cup raw goats’ milk (when added to the coconut milk, enough to bring liquid volume to 3 cups)
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (use a high-quality one because you’ll really be able to taste it)
1/4 cup amber agave nectar
24 drops stevia (the equivalent of 4 tablespoons of sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pour the coconut milk into a large measuring cup and add enough goats’ milk to equal a total of 3 cups of liquid. 

Pour about 1 cup into a small bowl and gradually add the cocoa powder, whisking vigorously to remove all lumps. 

Add the cocoa mixture to the rest of the milk and stir in the rest of the ingredients.  Prepare the dessert according to your ice cream maker’s instructions.

 

For dairy-free recipe ideas, visit Kimi’s blog, The Nourishing Gourmet.  I think you’ll like it!

Read Full Post »

Gluten Free Meal Bar Recommendations

Because we all have those hectic days when we need something quick to replenish our energy or to gently boost falling blood sugar levels, I’d like to recommend a couple of bars that are great for eating on-the-go.  Not only are these meal/snack bars gluten free, they’re free of dairy, soy, peanuts, and preservatives as well.  Even if you don’t have food allergies or sensitivities, these bars are far healthier than the typical “healthy” meal bars that are full of refined sugars and ingredients you can’t pronounce.  Sounds good, right?

1)  Organic Food Bar

Not a particularly creative title, I admit, but I LOVE these things.  My dear friend Susan introduced me to them a couple of years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since.  They can be a little tricky to find, although Whole Foods almost always has them, and some HEB and Kroger stores carry them too (just check in the health section or nature market aisles).  They are made primarily of almond butter and dates, with a few other yummy ingredients.  This makes them high in fat (13 or 14 grams), but keep in mind that it’s the good kind of fat.  Plus, the fat, along with 6 to 7 grams of fiber and 12ish grams of protein, helps slow down the digestion and absorption of the sugar, which comes from the dates and a little honey or agave nectar.  The bars are primarily raw and are designed to be alkaline-forming.  While I enjoy all the flavors, I gravitate toward Active Greens, which boasts a “green superfood blend.”  If you’re just starting out, I’d try the Original or Vegan flavor first.  The only downside for me is the price: $2.69 at most stores.  Nevertheless, if your choice is between fast food and a $2.69 meal bar that’s actually good for you (and gluten-free), the better option is pretty obvious. 

2)  Clif Nectar Bar

I do notrecommend other Clif products (they contain gluten and soy protein isolates), but the Nectar line is fantastic.  Like the Organic Food Bar, they are organic and composed mostly of nuts and dates.  In fact, Nectar bars all have 5 ingredients or less.  These make great snack bars at only 160 calories eat–the perfect blood sugar pick-me-up.  Again, I like all the flavors, but in my opinion, the Lemon Vanilla Cashew steals the show (ingredients: dates, cashews, goji berries, lemon juice concentrate, and vanilla–all organic).  A little sweet, a little tart…perfection!  Oh, and in case you’re a chocolate lover, Clif has recently released three Nectar Cacao flavors. 

3)  Lara Bar

Of the bars mentioned here, these are probably the most popular and easiest to find.  This brand boasts whole, raw ingredients in simple combinations (6 ingredients or less).  Again, nuts and fruits create the foundation for these 180 to 200 calorie bars.  With 12 awesome flavors, you can’t go wrong.  I recently tasted one of their most recent additions, Cocoa Mole, and promptly fell in love.  With a little warmth from cinnamon and chili, the dark chocolate really shines.  Lara Bar also produces many chocolate-free flavors for those of you with chocolate sensitivities/allergies.  Of these, I usually reach for Ginger Snap or Banana Cookie.

Note: None of the meal/snack bars listed above would benefit someone battling a severe Candida albicans infection.  The sugars, while from whole, natural food sources, would only inflame the problem.  Unless your doctor/chiropractor/naturopath suggests otherwise, I recommend using these products only after the gut imbalance is under control.  

Read Full Post »

Spicy Red Lentil and Kale Stew

I arrived home from school today with no ideas for dinner.  I’ve been recovering from a visit from my mother-in-law (which was great, by the way), studying for 3 exams, and revising a paper this week.  As you can imagine, menu planning has been low on my list of priorities.  Fortunately, after poking around in the pantry for a while and visiting my recipe box at www.allrecipes.com, I decided to give a particular recipe for lentil soup another try.  The first time around, I wasn’t very impressed.  Tonight, though, dinner was great!  I made a lot of modifications, so I think it’s fair to say that what I’ve written below is “my” recipe. 

It’s a great way to sneak in those amazingly healthy dark, leafy greens, while also benefiting from the protein and fiber in red lentils.  If you’ve peeked at my other red lentil recipes, you already know that they are the easiest kind of lentil to digest, and with these spices, they are even kinder to the tummy.  As always, if you are especially sensitive, consider soaking your lentils for at least 12 hours, then dramatically reduce the amount of liquid in the recipe.  Diabetics, hypoglycemics, vegans, and health-conscious people, this recipe is for you!

 

1 to 2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined coconut oil (or ghee or extra virgin olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
6 cups water
2 teaspoons dried basil
1.5 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, according to your heat preference
1/2 teaspoon curry powder

3 to 5 cups chopped kale
1 tablespoon high-quality sea salt

In a Dutch oven or a wide and deep saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until very tender. 

Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, water, and all the seasonings.  Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes.

Toss in the kale and salt, combine thoroughly, and cook for 10 more minutes.

Adjust seasonings and serve.

NOTE: If you do not have kale, I’m sure that other dark, leafy greens would be delicious as well.  Collard greens, Swiss chard, and spinach would probably make good substitutions.  Also, canned diced tomatoes work just fine in place of the fresh ones.

Read Full Post »

Tarragon Carrot-Cauliflower Soup

I know the word ‘cauliflower’ will send children across America scrambling for the door, but I have a secret: they don’t ever have to know about the cauliflower lurking in this delightful soup.  Chances are, even you won’t be able to detect it.  The cauliflower simply adds creaminess, body, and lots of nutritional value (especially vitamin C, folate, and fiber).  The carrots and tarragon take care of the flavor and appearance departments.

Please do give this soup a try.  It’s simple, creamy, and so good for you.  Appropriate for almost every occasion–whether it’s a casual, family-style meal or a dinner party–this soup is sure to please.  When I’m not feeling like eating meat, I serve this soup alongside my favorite Kale and Aduki Beans recipe.  Other times, I just grill some chicken and prepare veggies to go with it.  Dark, leafy greens, cabbage, or brussel sprouts are good choices.  I even eat leftover soup for breakfast with my eggs or home-made Turkey Breakfast Sausage, since hydration is so important in the mornings. 

For more information on the health benefits of cauliflower, go here.  For info on carrots, check out this link.  This recipe is generally appropriate for those with blood sugar problems or Candida issues, although some experts recommend avoiding carrots in the early stages of stamping out a severe Candida infestation.

 

(slightly adapted from a recipe in The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates)

1 tablespoon virgin, unrefined coconut oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cups coarsely chopped carrots (I generally cut my carrots into 2-inch segments)
1 medium to large head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon or 4 teaspoons dried tarragon
water
Herbamare or sea salt to taste

Begin by heating a dutch oven or other large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Warm the oil, then add the onion and saute until tender. 

Add the carrot pieces and cauliflower chunks to the pot and add enough water to just cover the vegetables.  Also toss in the tarragon. 

Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft (cooking time will depend on the size of the vegetable pieces).

In batches, puree the soup in a blender and return to the pot.  Season to taste with Herbamare or sea salt (and extra tarragon, if you wish).  If the soup is too thick for your taste, you can also add a little water at this point.  

That’s it!

NOTES:
It’s very important to use only a standing blender or a very good immersion blender.  Most immersion blenders will not puree this soup sufficiently, so you’ll end up with a grainy texture.  Not good!  The texture should be perfectly velvety and smooth. 

Also, although you’re welcome to use chicken or vegetable stock, in my opinion, it does not add much to the soup’s flavor.  This is one instance where plain water is just fine.

Finally, if you have an exceptionally large head of cauliflower, just add a few more carrots to keep the flavors balanced.  This is not a precise endeavor. 

Read Full Post »

Garden Green Vegetable Soup

One of the things I love best about soup is its flexibility.  No matter what you have in the fridge, you can probably throw it together and make a delicious soup.  And you almost never have to follow the recipe perfectly.  I especially like that about soup.  I also like that I can make a really big pot of it, slide it into the fridge, and eat off of it for days.  Then I always have a healthy snack when I need it.

This “throw it all into the pot” approach can be intimidating, however.  The thought of approaching cooking this way used to paralyze me.  I watched my mom do it my whole life, but I was terrified of ruining a whole pot of soup.   It’s a lot of food to ruin in a single sitting, after all. 

I eventually found it helpful to start with a good vegetable soup recipe (like a minestrone or garden vegetable soup), then experiment a little each time I made it.  The first time, I’d follow the recipe perfectly.  The next time, I’d try substituting zucchini for green beans or tomatoes for carrots.  I’d do this over and over.  Leeks instead of onions.  Shallots instead of garlic.  Edamame (which I no longer eat) instead of corn.  Although small, these alterations built my confidence over time.  Now, I don’t think twice about firing up the stove for soup without a recipe.

If you’d like to see how a delicious hodge-podge soup might look on paper, you can check out the “recipe” below.  I prepared this last night in honor of my mother-in-law’s visit.  I used a combination of vegetables from the farmers’ market and a few items from the grocery store.  Since seasoning a soup can be the part most prone to error, it’s always best to use the freshest, best-tasting vegetables you can.  You’ll find you need a lot less seasoning that way.

Incidentally, this particular soup is great for diabetics, hypoglycemics, or anyone suffering from Candida.  Keep in mind that you can always add some beans–especially kidney, great northern, or cannellini beans–or some meat to a soup like this.  Tonight, I’m going to roast a couple of chickens and add some of the leftover meat to the soup for a heartier lunch tomorrow.  While I enjoy the look of this all-green and white soup, you could add tomatoes or carrots, if you desire.  I would probably remove the turnips, though, if I added carrots, since both vegetables are slightly sweet.  Cabbage would be another great addition.
 

Garden Green Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined coconut oil (or extra virgin olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
4 leeks, white and tender green parts sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large stock pot, heat the oil over medium to medium-high, then cook the onion, leeks, and garlic until soft.  (I start out virtually every soup this way–sauteing garlic, onions, leeks, and/or shallots.  It creates a wonderful flavor base.)

4 medium zucchini, chopped
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 large head broccoli, cut into small florets
3 cups fresh green beans, ends trimmed and snapped in half
4 small to medium turnips, peeled and diced (I make them about 1/4 to 1/2 inch square)
10 stalks celery, sliced
16 cups good-quality chicken stock (vegetable stock would work too, or use beef stock if you want to add some cooked ground beef to the soup)

Add all of the above ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the vegetables are tender.  Once it reaches a boil, the soup should only need 15 to 30 minutes of simmering, depending on the size of your vegetable chunks.

6 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
lots of freshly-ground black pepper
1 or 2 dashes cayenne pepper
sea salt, if desired

Toss in these last ingredients about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy! 

Note:  One little vegetable soup trick I really like is to cook the zucchini in some of the broth separately.  When it’s tender, puree the mixture, then add it to the big pot.  This adds some body to the broth.  Obviously, the more zucchini you use, the thicker and creamier the broth.

Read Full Post »