I know I have been posting a lot
of soups lately! I love soups because they are a simple way to get complex,
nutrient density from whole foods into your life. October is a good time to
start giving your immune system a little TLC. And this immune support soup
recipe contains some of the best sources for key immune supporting nutrients.
And, it is free of any inflammatory foods that might bog your body down or
tamper with your digestion.
This healthful soup delivers a creamy, comforting taste experience
for the colder days ahead. You can prepare this whole-food plant-based
version the way it is, or for some extra stress-fighting B vitamins, add in
some crab meat, shrimp, and-or wild salmon. Enjoy it for dinner, or place in
jars and take it on the go for a nutrient dense, immune-supporting meal that
will out perform any fast food meal in nutritional complexity and
quality.
Immune Support Superfood Soup
1 12 oz pack of butternut squash (2 1/2 cups)
1 onion (2 cups)
2 stalks celery (1 cup)
3-4 medium carrots (2 cups)
2 red bell peppers (2 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 quarts vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. ginger
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. turmeric
1/2 tbsp. chile powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup 100% sunflower seed butter
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3.5-4 oz. shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced (2 cups)
4 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced whole (2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped carrot tops or parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Sauerkraut
Bruschetta salsa
In a large soup pot, combine the squash, onion, celery, carrots,
bell peppers and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to
a rolling simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic,
turmeric, chile powder and cumin, return to rolling simmer for another 10
minutes.
At this point, you can taste the broth for complexity. If it
tastes flat, keep it going for a bit longer until you have a complex flavor
from all the ingredients. Sometimes, depending on the quality of your
produce, this will fluctuate a bit. Don’t be afraid to use your own taste
buds and judgement.
Add the sunflower seed butter and nutritional yeast, and
immediately remove from heat. Give the soup a stir to break up the sunflower
butter. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or Vitamix-style high speed
blender. Remember that hot soup in a blender can be combustible, so start at
a low speed to avoid burns or injury.
Return the pureed soup to the stove at medium heat. Add both types
of mushrooms, stir in, and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the
mushrooms have cooked through and are no longer floating at the top of the
soup.
Add the chopped carrot tops or parsley, reserving a little for
garnish. Taste for salt and pepper. Remember that depending on the broth you
use, you may or may not need additional salt. Sodium is an electrolyte, but
too much will cause an imbalance in your minerals.
Serve the soup topped with your favorite sauerkraut as a garnish,
chopped cabbage, bruschetta salsa, or other healthy topping. Garnish with a
sprinkle of chopped carrot tops or parsley.
NOTE: For extra B vitamins, stir in some crab meat, shrimp, and-or
chopped wild salmon toward the end of the cooking process. Having said that,
there’s a good amount of B vitamins in the other plant based ingredients and
nutritional yeast. So this soup is great for both vegans and meat
eaters.
NOTE: For extra B vitamins, stir in
some crab meat, shrimp, and-or chopped wild salmon toward the end of the
cooking process. Having said that, there’s a good amount of B vitamins in the
other plant based ingredients and nutritional yeast. So this soup is great
for both vegans and meat eaters.
Immune Support Superfood Soup
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups butternut squash cubes about 1 12-oz. bag from the market
- 2 cups onion chopped- about 1 medium onion
- 1 cup celery coarsely chopped- about 2 stalks
- 2 cups medium carrots coarsely chopped- about 3-4 carrots- use carrots with tops- reserve tops for garnish
- 2 1/2 cups red bell peppers cleaned and diced- about 2 peppers
- 2 1/2 quarts vegetable broth or bone broth
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced- about 1 3.5-oz package
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms sliced whole- about 1 4-oz. package
- 2 tbsp. fresh ginger minced or chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tbsp dried turmeric
- 1/2 tbsp chile powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup sunflower seed butter 100% sunflower seeds if possible
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup carrot tops chopped- substitute fresh parsley if needed
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper to taste
- Sauerkraut or other fermented vegetable- optional topping
- Bruschetta salsa optional topping
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, combine the squash, onion, celery, carrots, bell peppers and vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a rolling simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, chile powder and cumin, return to rolling simmer for another 10 minutes.
- At this point, you can taste the broth for complexity. If it tastes flat, keep it going for a bit longer until you have a complex flavor from all the ingredients. Sometimes, depending on the quality of your produce, this will fluctuate a bit. Don't be afraid to use your own taste buds and judgement.
- Add the sunflower seed butter and nutritional yeast, and immediately remove from heat. Give the soup a stir to break up the sunflower butter. Puree the soup using an immersion blender or Vitamix-style high speed blender. Remember that hot soup in a blender can be combustible, so start at a low speed to avoid burns or injury.
- Return the pureed soup to the stove at medium heat. Add both types of mushrooms, stir in, and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have cooked through and are no longer floating at the top of the soup.
- Add the chopped carrot tops or parsley, reserving a little for garnish. Taste for salt and pepper. Remember that depending on the broth you use, you may or may not need additional salt. Sodium is an electrolyte, but too much will cause an imbalance in your minerals.
- Serve the soup topped with your favorite sauerkraut as a garnish, chopped cabbage, bruschetta salsa, or other healthy topping. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped carrot tops or parsley.
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