With the season starting to move towards winter G and I have both suffered with a slight sore throat and minor head cold. So I’ve been thinking about how I can give our immune system a little boost.
Recently I’ve been reading about the health benefits of Kale. It appears that this inconspicuous leafy green vegetable packs a powerful punch in the vitamins, minerals and antioxidant arena.
Like most other dark green vegetables it’s considered perfect for detox purposes. But it also seems to support the cardiovascular system and is claimed to assist in the prevention of cancer. Super food? Maybe!
Kale is rich in:
- Vitamin K, Vitamin A,
- Vitamin C, Manganese,
- Fibre, Copper,
- Calcium, Tryptophan,
- B6, Potassium, Folate,
- Anti-inflammatory properties,
- Antioxidants
and much more!
So my goal was to find a way to get more of this little gem into our diet. While green smoothies are an easy way to do so, I must admit, I’m not really that partial to them. Soup however is one thing that I love eating. I like that all the goodness stays in the bowl and I am able to eat it all. And that was exactly what I wanted to do when I developed this recipe.
I wanted something healthy that tasted delicious and honoured the main ingredient. I think I managed to achieve it all and even felt healthier when I was eating it. (See tips for vegan and paleo option).
green power soup (recipe by Fiona at Food 4 Thought).
serves 4 – Makes approximately 1.25l
Ingredients
25g parmesan cheese, 1cm cubes (Optional, for non paleo)
1/2 onion, cut into quarters
1 large clove garlic, peeled
10g olive oil
200g kale (leaves only, stalks removed), washed and roughly chopped
300g hot water
150g broccoli, cut into bite size florets
150g frozen peas
1 tablespoon TM stock concentrate
handful of basil leaves, or herbs of your choice
1 tablespoon coconut cream
Preparation
Place cheese into TM bowl and grate for 10 seconds on speed 7. Remove and set aside.
Add onion and garlic to TM bowl, chop for 3 seconds on speed 7. Add oil and cook for 4 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
Add chopped kale and water to TM bowl. Cook for 3 minutes at 100°C on soft speed.
Add broccoli, peas and stock, cook for 15 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.
Once cooked, add grated cheese (if using), herbs and coconut cream. Blend by slowly turning to speed 5, then increasing speed and blitzing for 30 seconds at speed 8.
Check for seasoning and adjust as desired. Serve with paleo croutons.
My tips/alterations: *This soup comes up quite thick, if you’d like it thinner then add some more water. *If you find the earthy flavour of the Kale too strong you can add extra peas and more herbs. You could also add some celery and/or carrot into the mix when you chop the onion. *I designed this recipe for the Thermomix BUT you can make this in a pot and blender like any other soup. *Don’t chop the Kale in the TM because if you over work the vegetables before they are cooked they will become bitter. *The cream at the end is optional, however it does bring out the sweetness in the dish very well. *If you would like this to be vegan or paleo, then simply leave out the cheese and cream.
ease: 9.5/10. The hardest part is washing the Kale.
prep time: 5mins.
cooking time: 25mins
total: 30 minutes
taste: 8.5/10. I loved this soup. I even felt better as I ate it. I think G was a little less reserve with his score because he is not as big a fan of that earthy quality that comes from the dark green hero. 7/10 from G.
would I make it again: Yes. Every time I feel like I need a kick start. 🙂
Leave a Reply