soup

Full Moon Soup

In Ancient folklore and myth, the moon is given a different name for each month, some of them are still commonly referred to while others seem to have just been forgotten. Earth's one natural satellite is the moon, and from the Earth's perspective it is the second largest object seen in the sky.  Ancient ancestors would have been influenced over the moon almost as much as the sun as it is used for similar guidance. 

Februarys moon is referred to as the Full Snow Moon. For this moon, I’ve crafted a soup that blends together parsnips, leeks, carrots, celery and the humble rutabaga. All of the ingredients are sliced in little full moons, The homemade vegetable stock is essential to this soup, since you “charge” it energetically beneath the full moon and imbue it with its power. The final soup looks like a rising gold moon in the bowl.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
2-3 large carrots, chopped
2-3 stalks of celery, chopped
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
1 bay leaf
3 green leek tips, chopped
5-6 large parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
herbs on hand – thyme, rosemary, sage
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 cup cashew milk

 

 

Method:

1. Warm some coconut oil in a large stock pot on medium-high. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, parsnips, leeks and celery and let them saute until soft and golden while you gather your other ingredients. 

2. Pour about 8 cups of filtered water over the vegetables. Add your herbs. Cover and bring to a boil then let simmer for 30 minutes or more.

3. Puree the soup with a blender, careful of the heat! Add the cashew milk, for a screamer consistency and season with salt and pepper and maybe a pinch of herbs. 

4. Enjoy your soup beneath the full moon to absorb all of its potent energies. 

Autumnal sweet potato, chard & lentil soup

Soup season has just begun to linger around these parts of north florida - not that the cold weather is the only time to enjoy soup - but who doesn’t want a warm bowl of heartiness to cuddle up with on these cold and wet fall/winter days. This one is a keeper. Bright red lentils and Rainbow chard blended with vegetable power and digestive fire that delivers steam and energy throughout the day. So go find a quiet chilly kitchen, turn up the heat and the tunes, and get your soups on.

Ingredients:

Vegetable Stock:
8 cups of water
1 sweet potato, diced into 1 inch cubes
3 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 knuckles of ginger
1 yellow onion
2-3 bay leaves
3-4 sage leaves, chopped
Salt

Soup:
Lentils
Rainbow Chard, greens and stalks, chopped
 

Method:

1. Boil 8 cups of water in a large pot. Add all the vegetable stock ingredients, cover with lid and reduce heat to simmer for 40 minutes until the broth tastes flavorful.

2. Meanwhile cook the lentils. About 1 cup of lentils to three cups of water should do the trick.

3. When the vegetable stock is done, fish out the bay leaves and pour into a blender or use an immersion blender until smooth. Add more water if the soup is too thick for your liking. Then add the soup to your lentils along with your chopped chard. Let simmer on medium-low for a few minutes until your greens are cooked. Garnish with sage and enjoy with a chunk of bread and drizzle of thick green olive oil.

Garden Greens & Sweet Potato Soup

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Soup is seriously one of the easiest, and most satisfying meals to make when the weather gets cold. Plus it acts as an impromptu hand warmer by way of mug. No disrespect to the wide array of canned or boxed soups, that you can pick up anywhere from the gas station to the grocery store. Using fresh ingredients, especially those picked from the garden just a few hours earlier, usually makes the meal worth the extra hours and work. Save the campbell's for desperate times.

This soup is easy, nothin' fancy, but tastes way too delicious. Way too delicious because of the incredibly fresh, crisp, and homegrown greens used in the recipe. The greens: kale, collards, and cabbage; plus hearty sweet potatoes make this soup heavy enough for winter nights and empty stomachs. A few other necessary ingredients to top it off, and everyone's happy!

Ingredients:

Greens: kale, collards, and cabbage. However much you'd like to use. I put about a 2 heads of each.
2 medium-sized organic sweet potatos
No-chicken vegetarian bullion (or real chicken bullion), amount dependent on how much water you use
2 small red onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 can crushed tomatoes 
1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp organic coconut oil
Salt, pepper, other seasoning to taste

Method:

1. Dice the onions and garlic. Sauté in coconut oil. Cooking stirring for five to ten minutes. Use the pot you'll be cooking the soup in.
2. Once the onions and garlic are soft, add in your water and bullion. The amount of bullion is dependent on how many cups of water you use. Also add any extra seasoning.
3. After adding the water, throw in your cubed sweet potatoes. Keep the temp on high and allow the water to reach a boil. Once it has, turn it down to low and cover the pot.
4. After about 10 minutes (more or less), check to see that your sweet potatoes are tender. If so, throw in your greens and crushed tomatoes. 
5. Keeping the stove temp on low, place the lid back on the pot for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the greens are soft. This will happen quickly so keep an eye out. Nobody wants mushy greens!