Golden Detox Soup
This recipe is inspired by that feeling you have after a vacation, or perhaps a week of eating out or overindulging over the holidays. Your body is craving a "detox" and quite similar to how I felt throughout my pregnancy, you may also be yearning for something so nutritious that when you take that first bite you can feel the goodness radiate throughout your entire body, nourishing your soul...bringing you back to life. Too dramatic? Try this soup first and then answer that. I recently added turmeric and adjusted the name of this recipe from Detox Soup to Golden Detox Soup. Turmeric has countless health benefits and I try to cook with it as often as I can. In this soup specifically, it adds brightness in contrast to the warmth from the cloves, and it pairs nicely with the lemon zest and juice. Now, I know you may not opt for wine if you are truly trying to detox but if you take a page out of our post on Dry January and how to drink in moderation, there are plenty of perfect pairings for this soup. But if we had to choose one from the shop...
This recipe has become a weekly staple in my kitchen, and a essential part of my "detox" regimen when I need a reboot! [gallery columns="2" size="large" ids="49379,49382"] Ingredients:
- Unlimited cracked black pepper
- 1 small head of white cabbage
- 2 small heads of broccoli
- 1 large onion
- 2, 32 oz. boxes of chicken broth
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1 tsp turmeric
- Juice and zest of 2 lemons
- 4 large celery sticks (with leaves)
- 1 bunch of parsley
- 1 can of white beans (optional)
- 2 zucchini (optional)
- 1-2 large carrots
- Small bunch of kale or spinach
- 4 roma tomatoes or 1 can whole/peeled tomatoes (leave out the juice and just squeeze the tomatoes themselves)
- Pistachio pesto (optional)
- Pecorino
For the pistachio pesto (optional):
- Basil
- Pistachios
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Pecorino
- Parmesan
- Salt
- Pepper
The best part about this detox soup is that it's super easy! Chop everything (aside from the zucchini, quarter the zucchini) - Cabbage, broccoli, onion, celery, parsley, carrots, kale, and tomatoes. Heat olive oil in a large pot and throw in onion, celery and carrots. Season with a ton of cracked black pepper. Stir well and add in cloves, turmeric, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley and celery leaf. You can chop a bunch of parsley, don't worry about the stems. Including the stems will only add flavor. The celery leaf will also add flavor - You can chop both together. Continue stirring. Add the white cabbage. Once the cabbage has softened slightly, add in the roughly chopped tomatoes. Continue stirring. Once everything has married, add in the chicken broth and stir. Season once again with cracked black pepper. You can let the soup simmer for as long as you'd like uncovered. Continue to check on it and stir. Depending on how soup-y you want it to end up, you can always throw the lid on for a little bit. Like all good things in life, it will only get better with time. If you are serving with pistachio pesto, combine everything together in a food processor and season with as much lemon, salt and pepper as you'd like. I find that with the lemon, only a pinch of sea salt is necessary. 1 hour before serving, add in the white beans. Continue to let simmer and stir occasionally. About 5 minutes before serving, add in the broccoli (remember, the broccoli in this recipe is finely chopped), your greens, and zucchini. This guarantees that the zucchini won't get too mushy which is important because this is a great soup for leftovers. I like the zucchini and broccoli in this soup to still have a crunch! Serve in a bowl and top with pistachio pesto, pecorino, cracked black pepper, parsley leaves and lemon zest.
