I hate wasting food, it is one of my pet peeves. I only buy enough for the week but sometimes life has you on a roller coaster and you don't get to eat all those fresh veggies laying around in your fridge so what can you do - make soup of course!

My honey is a chef and he is notorious for buying a ton of fresh veggies so that he has whatever he desires on hand and when I say a ton, I mean a TON. So when I looked in the fridge today I was shocked, so many veggies on their way out! A little brown spot here, mold starting to grow at the stem there, some yellowing kale. When did all these veggies get here and how could I possibly use them all up!

Soup is one of those things that really hit the spot and warm you from the inside out. Its also a great start to a detox or an excellent addition to increase your vegetable consumption especially in the long winter months.

This soup can be adapted to whatever you have on hand but I think there are a few key elements to a great soup. Here are my suggestions;

Always use a wide variety of colors and textures
Saute the veggies first in order to bring out their flavor.
Season those veggies before pouring in your broth.
Don't go light on the seasoning but watch your salt usage.
Don't be afraid to try other things besides vegetable broth - add a little wine, use miso paste, through in a little cider vinegar or splash a bit of soy sauce in there to provide depth.
Simmer longer instead of boiling for a shorter amount of time.
Add any quick cooking items right at the end.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as I am!

A Little Bit of Everything Vegetable Soup

1/2 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

1 Onion, Sliced

8 Garlic Cloves, chopped

3 Celery Stalks, chopped

3 Turnips, peeled and cubed

1 cup baby carrots, halved

4 Tomatoes, chopped

1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and minced

3 tbs Olive Oil

1 tbs Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Parsley

1 tsp Ginger

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

1 tsp Dried Seaweed

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

3 tbs Soy Sauce

4 cups Vegetable Broth

4 cups Water

1 cup Spinach

1 cup Kale

Add olive oil to a large stock pot over medium high heat. Chop and dice all vegetables. Add to the pot and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add the spices and saute another minute until fragrant. Add the soy sauce and the vegetable broth slowly. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce, cover and simmer until vegetables are cooked through about 30 to 40 minutes. Add the spinach and kale. Salt to taste. Enjoy and Healthy Eating!

I apologize for taking so long between posts, a lot of exciting things are happening in my life leaving little time for cooking elaborate meals. Unfortunately, it feels like I have been living off of cantaloupe and almonds for weeks now instead of real nourishing foods. AS for the big life changes coming up, I will let you in on all that very shortly.

Yesterday, I spent a lovely day hiking with the sun shinning and lots of soul sharing with one of my best friends but today the rains are back and with it a need for some wholesome, comforting sustenance, basically, not ice cream, which I do often associate with wholesome, comforting sustenance!

What is better on a rainy day than a bowl of lightly spiced and creamy soup that is packed with antioxidants like beta carotene and vitamin c as well as anti inflammatory and blood-sugar regulating nutrients?! Plus adding kefir into the equation adds fermented probiotics while still being friendly to those with lactose intolerance.

Kefir is a fermented milk product that is loaded with vitamin B12, calcium, magnesium, vitamin K2, biotin, folate, enzymes and probiotics. Kefir boosts immunity, fights candida overgrowth, builds bone strength, supports digestions, improves allergies, heals skin, and potentially fights cancer. Kefir is packed with 10 to 34 types of probiotics and unlike other forms of probiotics which just add good bacteria to your gut, kefir aggressively attacks pathogens and bad bacteria making it a very powerful food. Kefir can be made with milk, coconut milk, or water, when purchasing commercial kefir just be cognizant of the amount of sugar contained and try to purchase the plain variety as opposed to all those lovely flavor combos.

As you can tell, I am a big fan, give it a try and enjoy this soup as well!

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Almonds, Raisins, and Kefir

3 Sweet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed

2 Carrots, chopped

1 Onion, Sliced

2 Large Garlic Cloves, chopped

2 tbs Olive Oil

2 tbs Yellow Curry Powder

1 tbs Red Curry Paste

1 tbs Honey

1 tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tbs Miso Paste

2 cups Hot Water

1/4 cup Kefir

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to Taste

Raw Almonds, Raisins, and Chives to Garnish

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potatoes and carrots, cooking until the onions are softened. Add the curry powder and paste, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Dissolve the miso in 2 cups of hot water, add to the pot along with the honey and apple cider vinegar. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender, food processor or with an immersion blender until smooth, adding additional water until your desired consistency. Return to the pot and add the kefir and salt to taste.

Ladle into bowls and top with a drizzle of kefir, chopped almonds, raisins and chives. Enjoy and healthy eating!