I’m not a fan of extreme “detox” or “cleanse” diets. Extreme dietary restriction is not for me, and science just doesn’t back up most the fantastical claims of these regimens. I do believe in eating a variety of fresh, real foods, and listening to my body. After the holidays, especially, my body tells me to take it easy on alcohol and sweets, and to eat more greens and a variety of vegetables. My bathroom scale tells me this too.
This is a great green soup recipe to recharge for the new year. It is packed full of vitamin-rich broccoli and kale, invigorated with a kick of hot pepper, and blended until creamy with almond milk. This month, I’ll be incorporating more recipes like this into my diet, and I’m curious to see how what body (and my bathroom scale) have to say about that!
Creamy Kale Soup
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 3.5 oz (100 g) carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
- 1 red chili (or more, to taste), seeds removed, finely diced
- 1 lb (450 g) broccoli florets
- 5 cups (350 g) kale, chopped and stems removed
- 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable broth
- 1 cup (230 ml) almond milk (or any kind of milk)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/3 cup (85 g) goat-milk yogurt, greek yogurt, or sour cream for garnish
- a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish
- Sriracha or other hot sauce, for garnish
4 servings
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrots, stir and lower the heat. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Finely dice the garlic and chili together until it resembles a paste. Add the chili-garlic paste and the broccoli florets to the soup pot, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the kale and a pinch of salt, then pour in the broth and almond milk and lower the heat. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender. Add more broth or almond milk if necessary. Blend in batches until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot and gently heat until warm through. Garnish with a dollop of goat-milk yogurt or sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil, a few roasted pumpkin seeds, and hot sauce.
