It’s been two weeks, guys. How are those healthy resolutions holding up? Lucky for all of us, we’ve discovered one secret element to help us actually keep our detox vows. Well, it’s not so much a secret as it is…soup. Detox soup, to be exact. For $20, plus high-nutrient content, a low-calorie count, and body-boosting superfoods, you’ll have a pot of cleansing, nourishing deliciousness to last you an entire week. Check out our three favorite recipes and get ready to glow.
Red Roots & Cider Soup
In case you haven’t heard, beets are the new black. Loaded with minerals and vitamins that help regulate metabolism, boost your immune system, and sustain energy longer, they’re what you always wanted your multivitamin to be – plus, yummier. That’s not to discount the other power players in this pretty soup: Carotene-rich carrots, fibrous parsnips, C-packed turnips, anti-viral shallots, and fresh ginger filled with essential oils that do all kinds of good stuff for internal organs (and this soup’s rich flavor).
Ingredients:
3 beets
4 turnips
2 parsnips
3 large carrots
2 shallots
1 tbsp fresh ginger
¾ cup apple cider vinegar
8 cups water (or enough to fill your pot)
Peel and slice shallots, separating the rings.
Peel and chop ginger into thin, but bite-able slices.
Add ginger and shallots to the pot, and add about two inches of water. Bring to a high heat and let these ingredients simmer while you prep the rest. This will help extract the flavors, making a tasty broth (add more water if it all evaporates).
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Chop all the root vegetables into roughly equal-sized pieces, about ½ inch thick.
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Add veggies to the pot, and fill with water (leaving space at the top so it doesn’t boil over). Add apple cider vinegar and stir.
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Let the soup simmer over a medium heat until beets are tender and the broth is a bright, pink-red.
Enjoy this warm, earthy, tart, tasty good-for-you-ness.
Super Green & Bean Soup
We never feel as virtuous as when we’re eating something green. This soup is as green as it gets, and though it’s hot and filling, it’s almost a raw recipe (thanks to light cooking). Get satisfied with bean protein, fill up on leafy greens – the most nutritionally concentrated food on the planet – and get a good dose of all that immune-boosting, bacteria-killing, cancer-fighting garlic goodness.
Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 bunch spinach (or 1 large bag)
1 canned cannellini beans, drained
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
6 cups vegetable broth (or low-sodium bullion equivalent)
4 cups water
Combine water and broth, and set to simmer over a medium-high heat. Peel garlic and add to the pot.
Chop kale into large pieces, including stems.
Add kale to broth, once it’s simmering.
Painted Amaryllis Spoon Rest, $10, available at Anthropologie.Add beans to the pot, stir together, and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes, until kale begins to wilt.
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…and blend with an immersion blender, until well pureed. Note: if you don’t have an immersion blender, just allow the soup to cool to room temperature, and use a regular blender, or food processor.
Allow to cool to an edible temp and slurp.
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Sweet Potato Squash Soup
Whether or not you’re cleansing, this soup makes a great addition to your winter diet. These seasonal ingredients are packed with energy-boosting B vitamins, plus fiber to keep you full, and a hit of antioxidant-rich extra virgin olive oil to help your body rid itself of all that those holiday LDLs (read: cheese balls).
Ingredients:
4 cups butternut squash, peeled
1 large sweet potato
1 large onion
1 granny smith apple
6 cups broth or bullion of your choice (chicken or turkey broth are good complimentary flavors for this soup)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Chop onion into ½ inch pieces and set aside.
Wash and cut apple into thin slices.
Pour olive oil into the pot, and add onions and apples. Sautee over a medium heat, stirring often, until they both begin to soften.
All-Clad Tri-Ply Stainless-Steel Soup Pot, $159.95, available at Williams-Sonoma.
While onions and apples are cooking, chop squash and sweet potatoes into ½ inch pieces.
Add remaining vegetables to the pot, stir to coat in olive oil, and add broth. Bring to a simmer and let the vegetables get super-soft (about 25 minutes).
OXO Angled Measuring Cup, $18.95, available at Williams-Sonoma.
You can use a blender for this step, but you don’t need to. Using a whisk, briskly stir and mash the vegetables into the broth. If they’re sufficiently soft, you’ll soon have a thick, textured “pureed” soup.
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Perfect for cozy winter nights...
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