Pumpkin and barley soup
- 1 large onion
- olive oil
- small pumpkin or butternut squash (500g approx)
- dried pot barley 50g
- split red lentils 50g
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- black pepper
- 1–3 cloves of garlic
- 4 cm fresh ginger (peeled and chopped)
- water 750 ml
- stock cube or 1 tsp of bouillon powder
Fry onions and garlic in some olive oil till tender, add spices.
After a minute add the pumpkin and other veg if using. Let them sweat for 5 minutes.
Add water and stock, lentils and barley.
Simmer for 30–45 minutes until barley is cooked or pressure cook for 20 mins
Variations…
This recipe works well with no grains but millet works well instead of the barley for a gluten free version. Add celery, carrot and red pepper. Add more salt and a squeeze of lemon if needed. For a creamy soup, use a blender stick once cooked.
Turkish spiced lentil and tomato soup
- 1 onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 tbsp bulgar wheat or quinoa or millet
- 1.75 litres of stock (or water and stock powder)
- 4 tbsp tomato puree
- 1–2 tsp of Turkish tomato paprika paste
- (or chopped fresh chilli to taste)
- butter or ghee
- dried mint
- chilli flakes
Fry onion and garlic in olive oil. Add all other ingredients. Simmer for 20 mins.
Blend with a stick blender and stir in 1 tbsp of butter or ghee and 1 tbsp dried mint. Add chilli flakes and black pepper to taste and the juice of ½ lemon.
This is a deliciously warming soup due to the chilli, paprika, butter and wheat. A cooler version can be made by substituting wheat for millet or no grain at all. I also add celery and carrot for more nutrients and flavour.
Andean soup
- 1 onion or leek
- 1–3 cloves garlic
- 1 celery stick
- 1 large carrot
- 1 small courgette if in season
- 1 small sweet potato or ½ butternut squash
- ½ red pepper (optional)
- either peas, green beans finely chopped or broad beans
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 4 tbsp red lentils
- 4 tbsp quinoa
- chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tsp of dried herbs (thyme, oregano or mixed herbs)
- 1 tsp stock powder
- Enough water to cover veg by 3 cm
- salt and pepper to taste
All veg should be chopped into small pieces or chopped in a food processor.
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil then sauté all the other veg for 10 mins.
Add water, stock, herbs and spices, lentils and quinoa (best rinsed with sieve first).
Simmer for 30–45 mins or 20 mins in a pressure cooker. Chopped spinach can be stirred in for the last 5 mins.
Also delicious served with cubes of sheep’s cheese on top.
Spring green soup
- 6 sticks of asparagus
- 1 small pointed cabbage
- 2 leeks
- 2 medium courgettes
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 tsp of dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh is better
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp stock powder
- enough water to cover the veg
- salt and pepper to taste
- handful of fresh parsley
Peel the vegetables. Cut the asparagus, wash the leeks carefully and slice them crosswise. Slice the cabbage, courgettes and celery. Put them all in a large pan.
Season with a grind of fresh pepper, add the salt, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley, and toss with the vegetables. Add enough water to cover the veg. Cover and bring to boil slowly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaves. Purée the vegetables with a blender stick.
This tastes great with some feta cheese stirred in at the end.
Barley, bean and rosemary soup
- 1 large onion
- 1–3 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- 1 stick of celery, chopped
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 potato, diced
- 50g dried pot barley
- 1x 400g tin of Borlotti beans
- (or dried beans soaked and cooked beforehand)
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 1 tsp bouillon powder
- 750ml water
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil then sauté all the other veg for 10 mins. Add water, stock, herbs and spices, beans and barley. Simmer for 40 mins until barley is well cooked or 20 mins in a pressure cooker.
Sauté the fresh rosemary in a little olive oil; and add at the end.
Vegetable broths
For a mineral-rich broth to improve immunity and lower inflammation
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp/30ml olive oil.
Sauté in warm oil 1–2 organically grown chopped onions, 1–3 cloves chopped garlic, soaked and chopped shiitake mushrooms, 1 piece of Kombu seaweed. Then add veg of your choice 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots carrots, 1 potato with skin, dark green kale or cavolo nero, (sweet potato, swede, parsnip, celeriac are all good too).
When onions are soft, add water to just cover the veggies, and bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, fresh chopped turmeric root, fresh ginger root, black pepper, rosemary and thyme .
Simmer for 30–40 minutes and leave to sit for 1–2 hours. For added immune boosting benefits make a strong decoction of chopped astragalus root (1 tbsp per 300ml boiling water and simmer for 15 mins) separately then add to the soup before eating.
Eat the whole stew not just the broth after taking out the bay leaf and seaweed.
For a strong bone stew (calcium rich foods)
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tbsp/30 ml olive oil.
Sauté in warm oil 1 cup/250 ml organically grown chopped onions, 1–3 cloves chopped garlic, and 1 cup/250 ml quartered mushrooms.
When onions are soft, add 1 quart/litre vegetable stock (or water), and bring to a boil.
Then add 1 cup/250 ml each of at least four of these organically grown vegetables, cubed, unpeeled: sweet potato, carrot, turnip, winter squash, potato, parsnip, burdock/gobo. Also add ½ cup/125 ml dried Wakame seaweed, cut small. Simmer for 45 minutes, adding more water or broth if needed.
Just before serving, add 2 tbsp/30 ml miso, 2 tsp/10 ml tamari and 1 cake of tofu, cubed, to your stewpot. Continue to cook on very low heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot, with whole grain bread or brown rice.
For a potassium broth for mucous cleansing
Take the outer peelings of potatoes (about a quarter inch, including the skin), fresh parsley, unpeeled carrots, beet greens, onions, garlic, and any other organically grown green vegetables on hand. Wash and chop the vegetables and then simmer in a large, covered pot of water for 30 to 40 minutes. Strain and drink the essence, discarding the vegetables. Excess may be stored in glass containers in the refrigerator for up to two days.