This delicious and nutritious soup hits all the healthy food highlights: nutrient-dense, gluten free, paleo, Whole30, low carb, keto , and with a vegan option. Perfect for giving your body exactly what it needs.
Y’all know that I’m not about to try to convince you to eat nothing but this detox green soup for the month of January. No crazy cleanses or restrictive detoxes here.
Just stopping by to share a simple and deeply nourishing soup that can help you gets loads of vegetables into your diet and help your body feels it’s best as we enter into a new year and a new decade.
Before I get to the recipe, let’s talk resolutions for a bit. Resolutions are something I don’t really do. Coming up with lofty promises to myself each January that create intense pressure feels counterproductive. What feels more authentic and realistic for me is recommitment. Recommitment to myself, to my health journey, and to my long term goals. Basically, I recommit to making good choices for myself on the daily.
Because life is all about choices. We can choose to stay where we are OR we can choose to stretch ourselves to grow. We can choose to eat what’s easy and comforting OR we can choose to eat what makes us feel vital and energetic. We can choose to stay in relationships that continue to play out our old patterns OR we can be brave and choose relationships that help us evolve and feel loved. We can choose to continue old habits and addictions OR we can make the conscious decision to let go of things that do not optimize our well-being. Every day is an opportunity to choose.
That brings us to this lovely vegetable loaded detox green soup. Instead of worrying about following a particular diet, I focus on keeping my gut healthy. The more different types of plant foods you eat, the more diverse your gut flora is. I focus on eating as many vegetables as I can, along with good quality clean proteins and fats. I try to add in fermented foods at least once a day. This is how my digestion feels the best, and I have the most energy. 💪✨💪
I’m not saying that this is how everyone should eat. We are all unique with different needs, and we are all in different seasons in life. I’ve spent a lot of time healing my gut and experimenting with foods to see what’s best for me. And the vitamins, minerals, fiber, prebiotics, and antioxidants that vegetables provide fuel me in a way that makes me feel alive. Empty simple carb calories and sugar leave me feeling hungry and bloated.
It’s all about choices. And I choose to eat in a way that optimizes my gut flora and makes my body feel good. Because none of us are getting any younger. Take a look around and see how aging looks on different people. My observation is that the older people I look up to and admire, they take care of their bodies and make good choices around what they put into their bodies and their minds. Choices, it’s all about the daily choices.
The best thing about this tasty green soup is that is has a ridiculous amount of vegetables in it. You can just feel the goodness as you eat it. It’s loaded with with antioxidants and nutrients that your body craves. It’s hearty and light at the same time. It gives your body a break from all the heavy holiday foods we have all probably been indulging in. And it can help support your own body’s natural detoxification pathways so you can keep feeling your best.
Because detox is a 24/7 situation. It’s not something you can accomplish successfully with the occasional juice fast or annual cleanse. It’s something we have to optimize daily. And the most powerful way to keep detoxification humming along, keeping us healthy, is to eat foods that support it.
Here’s the recipe deets:
❤️kale, chard, broccoli and cauliflower… are all cruciferous vegetables which are know for their anti-inflammatory properties due to the antioxidants they contain. They also contain powerful compounds called glucocinolates, which are potent detoxifiers. Eating cruciferous vegetables regularly is a great way to support phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification in the liver.
❤️parsely… is loaded with minerals and antioxidants and is excellent for kidney health. It is considered a diuretic and helps flush the kidneys, which helps remove toxins from the body.
❤️cilantro… I love cilantro. The fresh, almost citrusy flavor adds so much to the flavor profile of this soup. Cilantro is loaded with antioxidants and is known to help the body get rid of heavy metals.
❤️ginger… contains very potent anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. These substances are thought to explain why so many people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis experience marked reduction in pain and increased mobility with regular consumption of ginger. Ginger has been shown to suppress inflammatory compounds produced in the joints, cartilage, and by the immune system. And it is great for aiding and soothing digestion. It also is known to cleanse the body by stimulating digestion, circulation, and sweating.
❤️broth… a good soup always starts with a good broth. The amino acids found in a good quality bone broth, including glycine, proline, and arginine, have strong anti-inflammatory effects. It’s also very soothing and healing to the digestive system and gut lining. I usually make my own or use Kettle and Fire. If you prefer to keep this soup vegan, you can use a nutrient-dense vegetable broth.
This wonderful soup can easily and quickly (in under 30 minutes) be made in the Instant Pot. Just cook veggies, ginger, and broth for 8 minutes on HIGH pressure then quick release. Add parsley, cilantro, and sautéed onions (or shallots) and puree until smooth. I like to garnish it with a simple cashew cream and microgreens. (I’ll add stove top directions for anyone who doesn’t have an Instant Pot.)
Food like this is a gift. It is nourishing our bodies in such a deep way. And it’s a privilege to be able to make the choice every day to feed ourselves things that promote health and wellness. Like I said, it’s all about choices.
Bless all of your sweet lives with good health and deep connections in the coming year,
xo,
Katja
P.S. Love this soup? You may also like my Detox Cabbage Soup. So good!
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PinIngredients
- 3 cups broccoli florets and stems, roughly chopped
- 3 cups cauliflower florets, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 bunch kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 bunch chard, destemmed and roughly chopped
- 4 cups broth (vegetable, homemade bone broth or Kettle and Fire)
- 1 tbsp butter, ghee, or avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion or 4–5 medium shallots, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- juice from 1/2 of a lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
- 1/2 cup water
- microgreens for garnish
Instructions
- Place broccoli, cauliflower, thyme, ginger, and salt into Instant Pot. Add chop greens on top and press down. Pour broth over top.
- Lock lid on IP and turn the vent valve to “sealing.” Cook on HIGH pressure for 8 minutes then quick release the pressure. Turn off IP.
- While Instant Pot is cooking, heat fat of choice in small skillet. Sauté onions (or shallots) until translucent and starting to brown. Set aside.
- After quick release, add parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and cooked onions/shallots to Instant Pot. Using an immersion hand blender (or regular blender), puree soup until creamy smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- To make cashew cream, puree soaked cashews and equal parts water in a high speed blender until creamy smooth. Top soup with cashew cream and microgreens before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Don’t worry if chopped greens fill the Instant Pot insert all the way to the top. As long as the liquid portion of the soup is below the max fill line, it’s ok. The greens will cook down as the IP comes to pressure.
For ease and less clean up, the onions/shallots can be cooked in the IP on sauté mode before adding in veggies to cook if desired. I prefer to cook them separately and to add them in after cooking as this gives the best flavor.
FOR STOVE TOP: Place broccoli, cauliflower, thyme, ginger, and salt into large soup pot. Add chop greens on top and press down. Pour broth over top. Bring to simmer and cook, covered until veggies are soft- about 15 minutes. While soup is cooking, heat fat of choice in small skillet. Sauté onions (or shallots) until translucent and starting to brown. Set aside. Once soup is done cooking, turn off heat. Add parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and cooked onions/shallots to pot. Using an immersion hand blender (or regular blender), puree soup until creamy smooth. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper. To make cashew cream, puree soaked cashews and equal parts water in a high speed blender until creamy smooth. Top soup with cashew cream and microgreens before serving. Enjoy!
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