Winter Vegetable Detox Soup
This warming vegetable detox soup is creamy yet light, made of fresh vegetables and turmeric. It's perfect for a liver detox and is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegetarian. You puree half of the vegetables to get some body, along with a little coconut cream. Some people don’t tolerate coconut milk or cream well, so feel free to omit if you fall into that camp. You can sub 1 cup almond or oat milk, or simply use a very flavorful stock or broth. I also find adding some cinnamon and grass fed beef tips can give it that hearty feel. Either way tis is a staple to have in your home especially in the cooler months when colds are rampant.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
2 medium yellow or orange bell peppers finely diced
2 medium carrots finely diced
4 scallions or spring onions white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini 3/4 pound, finely diced
2 medium summer squash 3/4 pound, finely diced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
One 5.4 ounce can coconut cream (optional)
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons lime juice
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions:
In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper, carrot and white scallions, if using. Sauté for 7 to 10 minutes, or until starting to brown and caramelize.
Stir in the zucchini, summer squash, paprika and turmeric. Cook for 4 minutes more, until very fragrant and starting to soften.
Pour in the coconut cream (if using), stock, and salt, scraping up any brown bits that may have formed on the bottom of the pan. Simmer rapidly over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the squash is fork tender but not too mushy. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice and half the cilantro.
With an immersion blender or stand blender, puree half of the soup, making sure there are still plenty of chunks to make it chowder-like. Garnish with the remaining cilantro and enjoy.
