Amazing Soup

Soup is not my number one choice for food. It's one of those foods that I never choose and never crave, but when I do eat it I enjoy it. I stumbled across a couple of recipes last year, one for immune system boosting and another for weight loss. I combined the two recipes into something all my own, and I love it. It's delicious, it's good for you, it boosts your immune system AND helps with weight loss. I don't eat it morning noon and night claiming you can lose 10 pounds in three days - you might be able to do that, but I'm pretty sure the weight loss would be all water. And - ahem - poo poo. Then you would gain it all back the first time you smelled a potato chip. No, I eat this soup for lunch - a nice big bowl of it. I also might have a cup or two before dinner or with dinner - it's filling! It helps to have the soup instead of pasta, potatoes, or some other evil processed starch.


I'm including the recipe below - one thing I love is the actual process of cooking. There's something soothing for me to be in the kitchen, chopping vegetables, stirring the pot, adding the spices and smelling the aroma. I get it from my father, who used to be a chef, and still today cooks an amazing dinner for my mom and him every night. After a long day at work he relaxes by cooking. I could be the same way if I didn't have the deadlines facing me - gotta get that meal on the table so the kids can get to bed at a decent hour. But on the weekends, on holidays, I have the time to really do it right, and I love it. So here's the soup recipe - if you make it, hope you enjoy it. If you're looking for another, quicker, recipe, click here to visit my friend's blog, Low Carb, Low Cost. She's got a great tuna wrap recipe. Okay, here's the soup:

• Put about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot and heat on medium.
• Add a few cloves of garlic (I have a garlic press and it's the best thing I've ever bought. Fresh garlic far surpasses anything you can ever buy in a jar. Or - *shudder* - powdered.)
• Once the garlic is just a tiny bit browned - not too much or it will be bitter - squeeze in the juice of one fresh lemon.
• Pour in some cumin and curry - about 1 teaspoon for moderate spiciness, more if you like it spicier. I LOVE it spicy, plus the spicier, the better it is for your immune system.
• Stir it for a few seconds, then slowly pour in some stock and some water. I prefer chicken stock, but you can use beef or vegetable if you prefer. Be mindful of the sodium content - it's high! Make sure you add about three times as much water as stock to keep down the sodium per serving.
• Here's where your own tastes and imagination dictate what you add. Any veggies you have can go in! Because of what we have available in our garden and pantry, here's what I added to this soup this time around: carrots, celery, two onions, a couple bell peppers, two yellow squash, one can of diced tomatoes, and a cabbage. I chop all the veggies into pretty large chunks - I like to feel like I'm actually chewing something, even when it's soup. If you prefer smaller chunks, go for it. It's your soup.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for at least an hour. I add the cabbage closer to the end of the cooking time so it's not mushy.
• Feel free to add whatever your heart desires - in past batches I've added pasta, brown rice, red beans, tofu - the sky's the limit. Dang, now I'm wishing I had bought some tofu...

Happy cooking!!!