Veggie Soup
Prep Time:
30 Minutes
Cook Time:
25 Minutes
Serves:
4-6 Servings
Level:
Beginner
About the Recipe
Whenever you have the opportunity to visit Mexico, you must spend at least a few hours in a mercado. Once you are there, after enjoying a delicious breakfast—whether it's a scrumptious flor de calabaza quesadilla, a huarache, or a sope with rajas and potatoes (my three favorites!)—please take a leisurely stroll. Wander over to a fruit and vegetable stand where you'll find little bags filled with seasonal combinations of delightful surprises for your veggie soups.
Typically, these bags contain a variety of ingredients such as green beans, spinach, quelites, watercress, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, corn, leeks, herbs, a few chickpeas, and other sprouted delights. A real treasure! My mama would make this delectable soup at least once a week.
I adore sipping on the vitamins, minerals, and warm, crunchy veggies in this soupy delight. I usually add plenty of avocados, lime or lemon, finely cut serrano peppers, and sea salt.
A couple of times a week, I offer my kids a generous cup of this veggie juice together with their usual cup of tulsi, chamomile, or mint tea that typically accompanies their meals—and they love it!
Ingredients
ORGANIC INGREDIENTS:
What did you find in the farmers market this week? What do you have in the fridge? What's ready to pick in your garden? What’s in season?
6-8 cups fresh water
2-3 celery stalks
1-2 leeks (in chunks or finely chopped)
1 tomato (optional)
4 small potatoes
2 carrots
2 zucchini (add them at the very end and quickly turn the fire off)
1 ear white corn (cut in half)
1 small onion (optional)
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1 piece fresh ginger
Greens: kale, chard, spinach, bok choy
Herbs: dill, parsley, epazote, cilantro, bay leaf, basil, oregano, thyme
1⁄2 tsp cumin
1⁄2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander
cayenne (optional)
sea salt
1 tsp of coconut (summer) oil or ghee (winter) (optional)
JARDIN INGREDIENTS:
2 large ripe organic avocados cut into cubes
raw tomato (optional)
lime and/or lemon
finely chopped kale, basil, cilantro, dill and parsley
arugula
chili flakes, or sautéd or raw serrano (coconut oil for summer, ghee for winter, optional)
organic extra-virgin olive oil or ghee
Preparation
DIRECTIONS:
Add all of the ingredients to your favorite stainless-steel or cast-iron soup pot.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat, allowing it to simmer, covered, until savory. Cook for a maximum of about 30 minutes. Avoid overcooking. Play around with the flavors and enjoy.
Your soup is now ready to serve.
For a full-meal soup: Enjoy the chunky, juicy vegetable pieces with your broth, or transfer the broth and vegetables to a blender and blend until smooth.
For vegetarian soup stock or a cleansing vegetarian broth: Remove any remaining vegetables to use in other recipes.
For a Raw/room temperature: Blend the ingredients and warm them up for a few minutes without boiling them.
THE FINAL TOUCH:
Add sea salt and the fresh finely chopped raw garden ingredients on top.
*** Serve with ghee, olive oil or avocado oil or sesame chili oil, and accompany it with organic corn tortillas, toasted seaweed, rice, barley, quinoa, millet or gluten-free pasta -- and, of course, a serving of yummy roasted veggies and tea.***