Lauren’s Kitchen: Soup Not Salad

My plan today was to be posting a series of my favorite salad dressings that I make in batches but look at this weather! While I hope you are eating plenty of salad it’s still clearly soup season and thankfully Jessica Nadel, author of Greens 24/7, offers up this great way to get your daily greens. Fitting them into you or your family’s daily diet can require some imagination and wonderful recipes help.

I gave this one a test drive over the weekend and it’s a winner. Here are the ingredients I subbed in: coconut oil, leeks over the shallots, basil, parsley and oregano, romanesco rather than broccoli florets and dino kale instead of collards and red pepper flakes. And with a growing 13 year old in my home I tripled this recipe and still there were no leftovers!

The dish is pack with alkalizing veggies to balance your pH and encourage lymphatic drainage and white beans offer a healthy serving of plant based protein.

White Bean and Three Green Soup, Greens 24/7

• 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 19-oz (540-mL) can white beans (such as kidney or cannellini), drained, rinsed
• 3 cups (750 mL) vegetable broth or water
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh herbs (such as rosemary, thyme, oregano)
• 2 large collard green leaves, chopped
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped or baby spinach
• 1 cup (250 mL) chopped broccoli florets
• Sea salt + freshly ground black pepper

In a large pot over medium-high, heat oil. Add shallots. Cook, stirring, 3 minutes to soften. Add beans, broth or water, nutritional yeast and herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 7 minutes.

Remove pot from heat. Using immersion blender (or in a blender in batches), purée until smooth (or mostly smooth). Enjoy!