Enliven Vegetable Soup

This is an incredibly delicious and healing soup.  The word “vegetable” comes from the Latin vegetare, meaning to “enliven or animate.”  This is very appropriate as vegetables give us life.  There is ample evidence showing that vegetables can prevent, as well as treat, many diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes and arthritis).  This colorful hearty soup offers a broad range of nutrients – fiber, carotenes, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and essential fatty acids.  It is simple to make and will please all the hungry mouths at the dinner table. 

Ingredients:

1 leek
1 onion
4-5 cloves garlic
2 carrots
2 celery
1 zucchini
1 tomato
1 cup red cabbage (or can use green)
1 cup black beans, cooked
1 litre organic vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 bay leaves
½ tsp parsley
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp thyme
¼ tsp Herbamare aromatic sea salt
¼ tsp cayenne (only use 1/8 tsp if don’t want soup very spicy)
Ground black pepper and unrefined sea salt to taste
1 Tbsp coconut oil

1. If using dry black beans, you need to soak ½ cup black beans in 1 cup of water overnight.  Drain and rinse beans.  Place the soaked beans in a pot with 2 cups water and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 45-60 minutes.  Ensure beans are always covered with liquid.  A well cooked bean can easily be mashed on the roof of your mouth with your tongue.  Set aside.

2.Meanwhile, sauté the onion, leek and garlic in coconut oil for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the carrots, celery and tomato and cook another few minutes. 

3.  Add the vegetable broth, red cabbage, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, parsley, thyme, cayenne and Herbamare, bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer approximately 15-20 minutes. 

4.  Add water, cooked black beans and zucchini and cook until zucchini tender (about 5-10 minutes).  Remove bay leaves and serve.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serves 4.

Enjoy!!

Note:  You can save time by using canned black beans.  Rinse and drain well before use.  You can also use a combination of frozen and fresh vegetables.

  Whole Food Sneak Peak: 
     Zucchini

Zucchini is a summer squash.  Squash belong to the gourd or melon family.  In general squash have two major categories: summer and winter.  Each type varies in shape, color, size and flavour.  The entire vegetable, including seeds, flesh and skin, is edible. 

Zucchini is the best known of the summer squashes (the others are crookneck and straight squash and pattypan squash).  Zucchini is a narrow squash that resembles a cucumber in size and shape.  The skin is either green or yellow in color and can be striped or speckled.  The flesh is creamy white with a delicate flavour.

Summer squash are 95% water and are not as nutrient-dense as the winter varieties.  However, zucchini provides a fair amount of potassium, vitamin A, folate, manganese, carotenes and vitamin C.  It has some anticancer effects.  It also has a mild diuretic action and stimulates the intestines, most likely due to its mucilage content.  Their high water content is great for the summer months as it will keep you well hydrated and the carotenes help protect against the damaging effects of excess sun exposure.

Zucchini is very versatile.  It can be used in salads, sandwiches, soups, sautéed, casseroles, they are juicy and flavourful after lightly steamed, grated raw in dips, cut into sticks for dips, stir-frys, stuffed or used in baking (muffins or breads).