I am in major detox mode.
Confession. Lately, I have eaten ALL THE THINGS.
- Peanut Butter Cupcake? Check.
- Kids pasta with butter and parm. Check.
- Late night kettle corn? Check.
- Extra glass of wine? Check.
- Trader Joe’s Cookies? Check.
The list goes on (and on) and it isn’t pretty. I leave for Florida on Thursday (wahoo!) but I am not quite where I would like to be in the fat loss or bloat department. I am not out of shape, but I have definitely lost some tone and some ab definition that I worked so very hard for!
What does that mean? Given I will be participating in a photoshoot and hanging out poolside in just a few days, I created a 3-day cleanse for myself to follow (more on that soon). Still eating food. Still eating real ingredients. But I need a “quick fix” and fast. This isn’t a forever thing. This is I need a reset and vacation prep thing.
I notice I do the BEST weight-loss wise when I have soup for lunch. It fills me up. It nourishes me. It tastes good. I get to eat it with a spoon. (Why is everything better with a spoon!)
Thus, this soup was born. Don’t let the name fool you. This is more bisque-like than soup. But, zero cream or cream substitute. It is actually really GOOD for you and packed with so many ingredients that inspire a healthy body, that I don’t know how this soup will NOT work to help create a healthier YOU (unless you hate spice, then we will need to tone down the ginger and curry for you).
I researched the following benefits of each ingredient here. Keep in mind I am not a scientist, just good with Google and this is a summary of what I found. Some amazing studies have been found and have supported what is set forth below. In addition to TASTING GOOD, researchers have found the following benefits of these ingredients:
Coconut Oil: There is not a ton in this dish. But the good news is that when you cook with coconut oil, you are cooking with more lauric acid and you can increase your HDL (good cholesterol) which may mean a reduced risk of heart disease.
Shallots: Rich in minerals, vitamins, and elements. Rich in B6.
Ginger: Helps with GI issues, muscle pain, anti-inflammatory, and may help with blood sugars and heart disease.
Carrots: Rich in antioxidants. High in beta-carotene, which helps reduce the risk of lung and colon cancer. Rich in Vitamin A, carrots also help with vision!
Celery: Good source of antioxidants, reduces inflammation, supports digestion, and has a low glycemic index.
Beets: Nutrient and vitamin dense, helps with blood pressure, fights inflammation, and improves digestive health.
Apple: An apple a day really may help keep the doctor away! Rich in antioxidants, helps to improve neurological health, lowers bad cholesterol, contains many vitamins and minerals.
Parsley: Rich in nutrients, antioxidants, etc. etc. (Do you see a theme here?). Parsley is also rich in Vitamin K which is a nutrient that aids in bone health. (Ladies — anything to ward off osteoporosis = gold!).
Apple Cider Vinegar: Helps to lower blood sugars, fight diabetes, lose weight, reduce belly fat, lower cholesterol and improve heart health.
Curry Powder and Turmeric: I used both in here, but turmeric is the major ingredient of most store-bought curry powders. Cucurmin is the major player here and is derived from the turmeric. Cucurmin has long been recognized as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powerhouse. Research suggests it also helps with prevention and treatment of cancer, protects against Alzheimer’s, and aids in digestion.
Coriander Powder: Known to improve digestion, lower cholesterol, and even improve hair and skin because it is rich in Vitamins K, C, and B.
Whew!
That is a lot of good stuff peeps! The recipe below makes 5 servings. Note. it is SPICY! If you need to tone down the spice, halve the ginger and just to curry powder to taste. If you are not in detox mode and making this just because it is YUMMO, add a dollop of Greek Yogurt!
This makes about 10 cups of soup (5 servings). Enough for lunch every day of the week!
More to come on the entire DETOX plan, but I can tell you, this soup will become a staple for me! It is easy, yummy, and so far is warding off the hunger and making me drink my water and then some!
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Curried Detox Soup
- Yield: 10 cups 1x
Description
I made this in the instant pot, but you could easily make on the stove or a crockpot!
Ingredients
- 1 TBS cooking fat (I used coconut oil, you could use EVOO or ghee)
- 1 large shallot, peeled, and sliced
- 3 inch x 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled, and diced
- 4 TBS curry powder (divided)
- 1 TBS ground coriander
- 1 TBS ground turmeric
- 5 carrots, peeled, and chopped into 3 inch pieces
- 5 stalks of celery, chopped into 3 inch pieces
- 3 medium golden beets, peeled, and quartered and chopped (about 8 chunks each)
- 1 small apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 32 oz carton organic Chicken Broth (I used Wegmans)
- 1 bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
- 3 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar (I prefer Braggs)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sautĆ©. Ā Once warm, add in your cooking fat and allow to melt/heat up.
- Add shallot and ginger. Ā SautĆ© about 3 minutes. Ā Take care to not allow either to burn.
- Add 1 TBS curry powder, coriander, and turmeric. Ā Stir so ginger and shallot are coated. Ā Cook for about 20 seconds. Ā It will look like a very thick dry paste.
- Add in your carrots, celery, beets, and apple.
- Add in your broth. Ā Give everything a big stir so your spices aren’t sitting on the bottom of your pan.
- Turn off Instant Pot. Ā Turn it back on and set to Manual, High Pressure, 6 minutes.
- When it beeps at you, signaling it is done, perform a quick release.
- Blend your hot soup. Ā You can blend in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender (the easier way). Ā Once you have all of your soup back together, add in your chopped parsley and about 3 TBS of apple cider vinegar. Ā Stir.
- Adjust to your taste. Ā For me, that was 3 more TBS of curry powder.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
