We are well into soup season - there is nothing quite like warming up on a cold, winter's day with a tasty bowl of soup! Here is a simple soup recipe that is easy to make with flexible options to make it with your favorite ingredients or ingredients you already have on hand. Made too much? Freeze it for when you need it!
The benefits of stocks and broth from pastured animals are numerous: collagen for skin and joint health, glycine for healing your digestive tract lining and supporting detoxification in the liver, rich in many minerals to support every organ system and hydrating as well! Make broth at home is easy and it freezes well too! If you are choosing to purchase a prepared box, look for an organic one with no added sugar, vegetable oils, flavorings or preservatives.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 medium carrots sliced into ¼ inch rounds
1/2 medium onion diced (about 1 cup)
3 celery stalks sliced into ¼ inch pieces
1 pound ground pastured protein of your choice (beef, chicken, lamb, turkey)
1 tablespoon minced garlic about 3 cloves
14 ounce diced tomatoes
6 cups organic broth of your choice (vegetable, chicken, beef, bone broth) low sodium so you can add your unrefined salt to taste
1 cup cooked whole grain, pseudo grain or legume of your choice
4 cups kale packed, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt & pepper
Dry or fresh herbs (e.g. poultry seasoning, Italian seasonings, sage, thyme)
How to:
In a 5-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to brown and soften. If veggies begin to brown too quickly, turn down the heat.
Add ground meat of your choice, breaking into small chunks. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Continue to stir frequently until meat is completely cooked; about 5 minutes.
Add any dry or fresh herbs, seasoning to your desire, and stir for about a minute. Pour in broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in kale and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let sit long enough the kale to kale wilt; 1-2 minutes or longer, if desired.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Stir in fresh parsley.
Place a scoop of the cooked whole grain, pseudo grain or legume of your choice, into the bottom of each serving bowl and ladle soup in! Storing your starch separately prevents it from soaking up all the broth in the fridge.