I’m sure you’re feeling the winter chill (who isn’t? — especially the east-coasters who have been hit with lots of snow), and could use a big bowl of some hot soup filled with tons of filling veggies, if so, then this recipe is for you.
I made this for my three younger boys who got the flu, one after the other. First my thirteen year old, then my youngest twin (who decided to eat his brothers’ half-eaten toast that was sitting in his room), and eventually his twin who wanted to comfort with kisses – when I saw him laying next to his brother watching TV and hugging him I knew we were not done with this just yet. It breaks my heart when my kids are sick.
Two weeks of the flu. Two long weeks.
Seeing your kids feeling miserable, is a mother’s nightmare, hence the long hiatus from blogging recipes. Still cooking, but no time or desire to write/post recipes. Thankfully, my boys have been good-as-new since Sunday and went back to school last Monday and am back to sharing recipes with you darling viewers. I’ve missed you and hope you haven’t been hit with it.
Back to school (said with a breath of relief). Miraculously, my husband, oldest son and I bypassed it – it may have been all the vitamins and sauerkraut shots we were taking. We upped the ante!!
So, with the flu came soup and natural remedies to try to speed up healing. Chicken soup and this hearty vegetable bean soup was just about all they would eat without feeling nauseous. Fortunately, they were feeling great by my oldest son’s birthday (last Monday) and had their big appetites back in full swing. I made my his favorite dish – bibimbap! A feast in a bowl that I can’t wait to share with you soon … also kimchi pancake AND a no-bake peanut butter chocolate pie for dessert. Not that those two go together per culinary standards but it’s what he wanted – and we were all happy he did – recipes coming SOON!
In addition to soups, I also gave them a bunch of other stuff to rid that pesky flu like shots of sauerkraut “juice” (liquid from fermented sauerkraut – an effective probiotic to multiply good gut flora), manuka honey (16+ enzyme one is the most active and best anti-viral, also great cough reducer and throat soother), Propolis Elixir (a New Zealand brand that I find to be the best natural cough medicine and helps with headaches), a homemade concoction of fresh minced ginger, garlic, raw honey and apple cider vinegar (this one I had to push them to take – not as tasty as the soup, but an amazing anti-viral and anti-bacterial), crystallized ginger to suck on (for nausea), dye free liquid Motrin (reduce fever), and lots of Lysine, Vitamin C, D and Zinc Picolinate (immune system boosters). What I don’t EVER give is Tylenol, a glutathione reducer that has actually been proven to weaken the immune system, especially when taking antibiotics or fever reducers. Here’s more on that … http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3261751/ … thought I would share my bundle of flu fighting remedies …hopefully this bit of information helps, if needed, but hoping you won’t! I have more good nutritional info on my Nutrition Pinterest board …
This hearty (and quite tasty, I will add) soup full of anti-oxidant rich veggies and protein-packed beans should help keep you going strong (and hopefully healthy) this winter … I think you will love it as much as we did.
Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 bunch dino kale, coarsely chopped
1 bunch red kale (the purple one) coarsely chopped
1 bunch swiss chard (I used rainbow), coarsely chopped
2 large onions, diced
1 large garlic bulbs, peeled and chopped finely
6-8 carrots, peeled, sliced
4-5 celery stalks, sliced
3-4 tablespoons kosher salt, or to taste, plus about 1/8 cup for salting greens
1-2 tablespoons crushed black pepper, or to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
4 cups water (or use more vegetable stock)
1 can white beans, drained (I used great white northern variety)
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2-3 tablespoons grape seed oil
Preparation:
Place washed kale and swiss chard (I tear them in half as these leaves take a lot of space) in a very large bowl of water, about 3 quarts full and sprinkle an 1/8 cup of kosher salt over the greens, enough to coat most of the greens. Press the exposed leaves down into the water and let it sit for 20-30 minutes to remove any bugs or debris. See note below.
Meanwhile, peel the garlic by slicing off the bottom of the garlic bulb, and break apart cloves. Then bang each clove (with the thickest part of a chef’s knife) with a good whack. The skin will tear to reveal the garlic clove. Remove the skin to chop finely. Dice onions. Set aside.
Peel and trim carrots, then slice in 1/2 thick circles. Trim ends of celery and slice the same thickness. Rinse the greens and chop coarsely. Set aside.
Set a large dutch oven (5 quart size) on medium high heat, add coconut oil and grape seed oil (no coconut flavor will be detected, promise!), add onions, stirring often. When opaque and lightly browned, add garlic and cook until browned. Add carrots and celery, stirring occasionally for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Add water and vegetable stock. When the liquid comes to a boil add the chopped greens, white beans, and garbanzo beans. Cook another 3-5 minutes until greens have wilted. Serve hot.
Note: This freezes well in freezer safe, airtight containers and keep well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Note: This is a koshering method for leafy vegetables I learned while working in a kosher commercial kitchen years ago; it removes the bugs that don’t wash off and works every time. Just when I think I have washed my produce “koshering” proves me wrong.
Note: It will appear like too many chopped greens at first, but they do wilt quickly and give make the soup hearty.
Note: To make this Paleo just replace the beans with another source of protein that is Paleo friendly …
Doesn’t the soup look like a minestrone? The swiss chard creates a red-hued broth; for my tomato free family it reminds us of the minestrone we used to love. This would have been a minestrone if I had some quinoa pasta on hand … next time 🙂
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