IMMUNE SUPPORTIVE SOUP

I made this brightly colored soup quite often when I was a single mom, always keeping some in the freezer should I ever catch a cold–that way I would have something nourishing to eat when I didn’t have the energy to cook. I kept quarts of it in there “just in case”. Someone told me I was a true Virgo for doing this.

Years later, now remarried and my daughter grown, the soup turned into a family and friend favorite with one of my friends dubbing it “crack soup” because she craved it after one serving. The flavors are fresh and invigorating while the heat from the ginger and chiles give you a dose of feel-good endorphins! So, because this is the first week that our Phoenix mornings have felt slightly crisp, I plan to make crack soup soon to support our immune systems and keep them strong. I believe in you Immune System!

One of the things I enjoy doing and teaching others, is how to use food as supportive and preventative care. Many people only think to have a bowl of healing soup when they are already sick, however, when the weather changes from warm to cold it’s important we nourish it with foods that help it adjust to new temps. That is why I believe so many cultures around the world serve brothy soups during cooler months–to keep our cores warm and supported. I encourage you to double this recipe and store some in the freezer for yourself, your family, or others in your circle. And feel free to name it whatever you want!

INGREDIENTS

1-quart vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth

1 small purple onion, diced

1 head of garlic, left whole

2 stalks of celery, diced

1” knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced

3 carrots, trimmed, diced

1 tsp. ground turmeric

1 jalapeño chile (or more), deseeded, minced

1 bunch of greens, trimmed, roughly chopped (kale, quelites, Swiss chard) 

4 cups water

1 tbsp. olive oil

sea salt to taste

black pepper to taste

juice of one big lemon

handful of cilantro leaves as a garnish

OPTIONAL ADD-INS

Cooked farro, wild rice, pasta, quinoa, beans

METHOD

First, roast your garlic.  Set your oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the head of garlic in half horizontally. Place on a square piece of foil and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, then seal, making a little bundle with the foil.  Place in the oven and bake about 30 minutes. Your home will smell amazing. That’s when you know it’s done.  

While the garlic is roasting, place your soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is warm add the purple onion, celery, ginger, carrots, and chile. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, it should be very fragrant. Next, add the broth and water. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to a simmer. Add turmeric, stir and cook for another 15 minutes.  

Once the garlic has finished roasting, open the bundle and allow it to cool a few minutes before squeezing out the roasted flesh from the skin. Place the roasted cloves in a blender. Add one cup of the soup broth to the blender and pulse until it’s pureed, being careful if it’s really hot (you may want to wait a moment for it to cool down). Add the pureed garlic mixture to the soup pot. Stir. If you are adding any of the optional add-ins, add those now. Next, add your greens and cook until wilted, but still vibrant green. Add the lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with cilantro.

WARMING WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP

Sharing nourishing recipes on this platform from BIPOC chefs and cooks in my community (in-person or online), is one way I enjoy uplifting those who are making a difference in how we eat. So, I asked Chef Taffy Elrod if she would share a recipe for the home cooks who visit my website…and she said yes! I especially love her contribution because I love parsnips and ginger. I am looking forward to making this “root” soup along with you.

“I love this soup, I created it on the fly for my students using ingredients we had on hand. Over the years it has become one of my favorite soups to cook, it is warming, nourishing and allows for the kind of intuitive and meditative cooking that brings me joy and satisfaction. 

The ginger and warming spices enhance the sweet spiciness of the parsnips. The fresh herbs and crème fraiche balance the warmth with a cool, verdant quality that draws out the almost anise like flavor of the root vegetables. It’s warming and cozy, yet light and refreshing all at once. The crème fraiche is beautiful with this soup, but by all means use a high quality coconut yogurt if you choose to keep it dairy free.” - Taffy Elrod

WARMING WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP

Chef Taffy Elrod

2 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil

1 large shallot, sliced

1/2 teaspoon of each: ground allspice, ground cinnamon, and ground coriander

1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

2 large carrots, peeled and diced

3 large parsnips, peeled and diced

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 cups (approximately) vegetable broth, or water

1 tablespoon of each: minced, fresh dill and minced, fresh parsley

2 teaspoons minced, fresh tarragon 

1/4 cup crème fraiche or coconut yogurt - plus extra for garnish

METHOD

Warm a small saucepan over medium-low heat and add the ghee or oil, add the sliced shallot to the pan and sweat it in the ghee until soft and fragrant.

Add the allspice, cinnamon, coriander, and ginger root the pan and warm until fragrant and infused through the ghee. 

Add the carrots, parsnips, salt, while pepper and enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Raise the heat to medium. Stir everything together scraping the bottom of the pan to be sure there are no spices or vegetables stuck. 

Cover the pan and bring the contents to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until the carrots and parsnips are very tender. About 15 minutes. Add more broth if needed.

When the vegetables are tender carefully blend the soup with an immersion blender or in batches, in a blender with a clean towel covering the hole in the center of the lid so the hot soup doesn’t burst out of the top. Blend the soup until it is completely pureed, lush and velvety. 

Return the soup to the pan, stir in the herbs, taste for salt and pepper. Add broth to bring it to your desired consistency if necessary. I Love this soup so thick it’s almost like a porridge, but you can thin it to whatever consistency makes you happy.

When the soup is heated through and seasoned to your tastes, remove it from the heat and stir in the crème fraiche. Serve piping hot garnished with a spoonful of crème fraiche and a sprig of herbs. 

Taffy Elrod is a chef, cooking instructor, and food writer with a passion for making good food accessible to everyone. Born into a family of artists and cooks she learned early on that food is a powerful medium for creation and change. 

She has been cooking and teaching professionally in New York for over twenty years. She started cooking in New York City after attending the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health. 

She now cooks and develops recipes in New York’s Hudson Valley, where she lives with her husband Pizza Man and their rescue cat Kit-Kat.

You can follow her on Instagram at cheftaffyelrod :)

SWEET POTATO STEW WITH GREENS

This season’s recipe contribution comes from one of my Ayurvedic cooking teachers, Nalini Mehta. Nalini holds a wealth of knowledge in Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking, and I am beyond grateful she is sharing her wisdom here. A recipient of the James Beard Foundation Women In Culinary Leadership Grant program, Nalini is all about wellness of the people.

“Fall is a time of transition. You can observe it everywhere around you. Many trees & plants are slowly undressing in preparation for the winter. There is a subtle browning of the mother earth. You can feel the nip in the air & temperatures, which just a couple weeks ago were raging with the endless summer are beginning to hint at the cool & crispness of autumn. The fall season brings with it a predominance of air element and prana (the vital breath, the subtle energy of life) abundant at this time in the atmosphere. Autumn begins with a change of dry, rough, windy, erratic, cool, subtle, and clear. These are all qualities shared by vata dosha, which is why Fall is considered a vata season. A general Vata imbalance gets created. So by taking a few simple balancing steps this Autumn, it can be very beneficial.

So why even bother with a Seasonal Routine at all?

For an inner body & mind balance it’s not only the internal factors that affect it. It’s also dependent on environmental factors. Ayurveda considers a seasonal routine an important cornerstone of health all year around. Balancing the nature of your local climate with lifestyle choices that offset the potential for seasonally-induced imbalances is one of the simplest ways that you can protect your all round well-being.

If you notice we adopt seasonally appropriate habits already, without even being conscious about it. For instance, summer is a time when we often enjoy light salads and water based foods in abundance, both perfect antidotes to the heat and intensity of the summer. Whereas by Sept and October we’re often baking delicious pumpkin breads infused with Fall spices and dining on hearty, grounding soups! These foods naturally subdue the dry, light, and erratic nature of the fall. By making conscious diet and lifestyle choices that counter the effects of each season, you can better maintain your internal sense of equilibrium throughout the year.”

Sweet Potato Stew with Greens

Source: Nalini Mehta, Route to India

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS

1½ tablespoons ghee(clarified butter)or coconut oil (if vegan)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon ground coriander   
1 tablespoon rasam powder (I use MTR brand) or Indian curry powder
1 bunch of Swiss chard or collard greens, chopped coarsely (about 4 cups loose)
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
Squeeze of lime, for garnish

METHOD

1.    In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start to dance in the oil, add the onion. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, pepper, turmeric, ginger, salt, and sweet potatoes and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the ground coriander and rasam/curry powder and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes, until sweet potato is half cooked.

2.    Add 1 cup water and a bit more salt. Add the chard and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, until the chard is also tender. Add the coconut milk, bring everything to a quick boil, and then reduce to a simmer, covered.
   
3.    Thin the stew with water if it seems too thick. Spoon the stew over rice, quinoa, or other cooked grain of your choice and garnish with the cilantro.

Ayurvedic Benefits : In this stew the curry powder and turmeric are blended with cooling and grounding coriander & cumin spices while cayenne adds heat. Curcumin in turmeric is attributed for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. 

The fat in ghee helps in the absorption of curcumin. These spices help perk up Kapha dosha (earth element) and ground the Vata dosha (air element).

Want to learn about your Ayurveda personality or Dosha? 

Visit www.routetoindia.com

PURPLE POTATO SOUP

I created this simple soup for a cooking class I taught when the weather had just started to change like it is now. The result was nourishing to our bodies, our spirits, and definitely to our eyes – including our third eyes.

Brilliantly colored purple/indigo sweet potatoes are high in brain-healthy anthocyanin, which is the natural pigment found in foods such as blackberries and purple cabbage – which is also the color of our third eye chakra. They are rich in antioxidants and great for strengthening our immune systems, which is perfect for cold and flu season. And, because of their color I believe they can also help in strengthening our intuitions.

When shopping for your purple potatoes, know there are different varieties which vary in shape, richness and sweetness. The ones that I love best look like the photo below with purplish skin. If you cannot find purple sweet potatoes, simply substitute them with the more common orange-flesh sweet potato.

8 SERVINGS

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ lbs. purple sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into large pieces

4 garlic cloves with skin 

2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into large pieces 

fresh thyme for roasting

salt and pepper to taste6 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

1 tablespoon ground chipotle powder

5 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, OR bone broth

fresh thyme for garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the sweet potatoes and carrots on a baking sheet with the garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil.  Toss with hands to coat evenly.  

3. Place the tray in the oven and roast for around 20-30 or until potatoes are soft. 

4. Once cool enough to handle, peel garlic.  Put roasted vegetables in a blender with peeled garlic, chipotle powder, honey or maple syrup, and stock.  Puree until smooth.  Taste for seasoning, adding more chile if you’d like.

LEMONY HERBED BLACK EYED PEAS

This recipe was featured on AZCENTRAL Welcome to Homemade monthly series :)

A strong, healthy, and balanced immune system can help fend off viruses and bacteria — which is why it is so important to nourish it with immune supportive foods such as garlic, lemon and plenty of fresh herbs.

These ingredients are suggestions and you don't have to have the precise amount. Adapt to what you already have at home.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked black eyed peas

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 cup fresh herbs, minced (such as basil, dill, fennel fronds, mint, or Italian parsley)

• 1 yellow onion, peeled, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 carrots, peeled, diced

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 4 cups vegetable stock or water

• 1 lemon, cut into six wedges for serving

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a deep pot. Sauté beans, herbs, garlic, onion, and carrots for 3 minutes.

Add bay leaves, tomato paste and vegetable stock (or water, if using that instead of stock).

Bring to a low simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and add lemon juice.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh lemon wedges.