SOUPS TO LIVE BY …
STAY WELL BY ENJOYING THESE TWO NOURISHING SOUPS
We don’t wait till we get sick to enjoy these beautiful, amazing, healing and nourishing soups. And, guess what, we hardly ever ‘get sick’!! In my practice, anyone with gut issues gets prescribed these two soups on rotation (and they become addicted!)
My fave is ‘Chicken Congee’ and the benefits are endless …
1. It is very easy to digest and supports your spleen and stomach
2. The slow cooked chicken provides many nutrients
3. Supports rest and recovery, especially new mums and anyone recovering from illness
4. It is delicious, especially if you add in the ginger and shallots 😊
5. Can balance the internal cold and heat of the body (I even have it for breakfast)
My new fave is ‘Beef Soup with Daikon’. A delicious soup made in synergistic heaven …
1. Beef broth contains immune boosting minerals
2. Daicon is a highly fibrous, detoxifying vegetable. It may sooth the digestive system, reduce the bloat, boost immunity and promote glowing, hydrated skin.
3. Daikon is low calorie but contains a good amount of digestive enzymes, its low on the glycemic index making it an excellent, filling addition for maintaining low blood sugar.
4. Great if you are fluey or phlegmy as it can act as a natural decongestant.
5. We love the collagen from simmering beef bones promoting skin elasticity and joint mobility.
RECIPES
CHICKEN CONGEE
COOK TIME
1 hour 50 minutes
SERVES 4
Ingredients
2/3 cup sushi rice (any rice will do!)
finely julienned ginger, to serve
thinly sliced spring onion (scallions), to serve
soy sauce, to drizzle
Chicken stock:
1 x 1.2kg (2.6 lb) whole chicken
8 cups chicken stock
4cm piece fresh ginger, sliced
4 spring onions, roughly sliced
(it’s ok to substitute an onion for the spring onions, I add in a couple of garlic cloves and some kaffir lime leaves. And, if I have it I will throw in some sliced up turmeric)
Steps
Place all the ingredients for the chicken stock in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. You can test by piercing the leg joint and if the juices run clear or just light pink, then the chicken is cooked. Simmer for longer if your chicken is larger. When cooked, transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool.
Add the rice to the saucepan and simmer until the rice is broken down and the mixture is thick and porridge-like (this could take 60-90 minutes). Stir often to ensure the rice doesn’t burn.
Slice and shred the chicken meat.
To serve, divide the congee among serving bowls. Top with the chicken meat, ginger, spring onion and drizzle with soy sauce to taste.
Beef protein soup with daikon and spinach
Ingredients
250gm of quality ground beef
1 medium daikon radish, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 punnet of shitake mushrooms, sliced
(I will add in whatever veg we have – carrot, zucchini, broccoli and of course spinach)
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed
About 1 inch of ginger, grated
4 cups of good quality beef or chicken broth
Soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste
STEPS
Saute onion, add in the beef and get it cooking, add in the garlic and ginger.
Add in the broth followed by all the vegetables.
Top up with water if needed to cover the vegetables.
Let it cook on a rolling simmer/boil until cooked to your liking.
I WILL AT TIMES boost the protein content and really beef up the soup (and make it extra delicious) by adding in about 250-300 gms of thinly sliced rump steak. Just sit it in the very hot soup and let it cook.
Season with salt, pepper, soy sauce, miso paste, sesame oil if necessary, to your taste.
You can also add in the chopped ginger and shallot to add to the crunch or we will add in a sheet of nori or some other seaweed we may have hanging around.