Green drinks are all the rage, but have you ever heard of green soups?
As winter fades and spring brings warmer weather, it's the perfect time to add more green vegetables to your day. Green vegetables are packed with vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium, which play crucial roles in supporting overall health and well-being. Vitamin A, for example, is essential for healthy vision, immune function, and skin health, while vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against oxidative stress and boosts immune function. Potassium and magnesium are important for maintaining electrolyte balance, supporting muscle function, and regulating blood pressure.
Traditionally, green broth, also known as Bieler’s Broth, is not very flavorful due to an intentional lack of seasoning. Equal parts of zucchini, green beans, and celery add color and nutrients but not much flavor. This version uses cilantro and lemon, in addition to the usual parsley, which brightens the soup. Ginger and cumin are also added to support digestion and give the soup warmth and depth. Don't like cilantro? You can always leave it out!
Easy to digest and full of nutrients like fiber and minerals, green soups have been a standard in holistic medicine. There are many variations online, but this recipe, adapted from here, is a simple and delicious take on a classic soup. If you want to focus on seasonal vegetables, swap out the veg below for whatever is freshly harvested in your region. Asparagus, broccoli, green peas, and spinach are examples of vegetables that are in season in the spring in much of the U.S.
Asafoetida, also known as hing, is a South Indian spice that is related to celery and has a garlicky oniony taste to foods. A small pinch of this pungent spice added to gas-causing foods like asparagus, broccoli (even beans) can combat bloating and flatulence. Coriander is another spice that supports digestion and goes well with green vegetable soup.
Get ready to enjoy green soup this spring! It's a tasty and healthy adventure for your taste buds.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups zucchini
- 2 cups green beans
- 2 cups celery
- 4 cups cold water
- 1 cup chopped parsley and/or
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ghee or olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
- lemon, freshly squeezed, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash the vegetables and fresh herbs thoroughly.
- Coarsely chop the zucchini, green beans, and celery.
- Place the vegetables in a large saucepan, and cover them with 4 cups of cold water.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 25 minutes or until the veggies are soft, then remove from the heat.
- Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or in portions in a blender*.
- Add the chopped parsley, cilantro, and salt, then blend again to incorporate the herbs, but make sure there are still visible leaves.
- Heat a teaspoon of ghee or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the cumin seeds to the heated oil; once fragrant, add the fresh ginger, stirring continuously for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to let it burn.
- Stir in the spices to the blended soup, reheat as needed.
- Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
TIPS*
- If using a blender, allow the mixture to cool first.
- Add spinach for extra green goodness
- If you want to cook with vegetables that are in season, asparagus or broccoli can be subbed out for the zucchini and green beans. Those veggies may cause bloating or gas in some people; add coriander and asafoetida to the cumin and ginger to help tame the tummy
- Crush the cumin seeds for extra flavor
