Fabulous Fast Food: Your Favorite Soup

Happy Day 9 “Favorite Things to help & entertain you”

Joe and I would like to wish you a Healthy Happy New Year!

Have you made some choices to eat better? want to save time? be healthy? get organized?

Here’s a simple suggestion to take care of all of the above: Make a big batch of HOME MADE SOUP and freeze portion sizes appropriate to your needs.

1. We use left over Feta Cheese containers from Sams Club
2. Ice cube trays are a super for defrosting exactly how much you want.
3. When a neighbor/friend is unwell reach into the freezer, defrost a soup and deliver within minutes. Warm their body and heart with this act of kindness.

A soup we call “Your Favorite Soup” is the Lima Bean Soup out of the Body Ecology Diet book. I’m not a big fan of Lima Beans, avoided the recipe in the book for years, then Georgia Lister [1] made it for me “in error” and it’s been my favorite ever since. Here’s the recipe:

Lima Bean Cilantro Soup (Page 271 of Body Ecology Diet Book)

1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Two 10oz packages frozen lima beans
2 large onions, minced
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
4 carrots, peeled and cut in half
8 cups water
2 tsp. sea salt
pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped (freshly clipped off your tower garden LOL)

1. Saute onions and garlic in oil
2. Add water, carrots lima beans and salt
3. Simmer until vegetables are tender
4. Remove carrots, coll, and slice into thin rounds.
5. Puree 3/4 of soup and return to pot with carrots
6. Add red pepper flakes and add salt as desired
7. Add cilantro and simmer for 2 minutes.

(Parsley, Spinach, Watercress or kale are fun alternatives to cilantro)

¹ When Joe’s mom was at MD Anderson being treated for Pancreatic Cancer I had a training where I needed to lead the entire training and provide all meals! One of my gifts is knowing when to ask for help. One of my blessings is friends who respond when I share my need. I asked five NiaMoves teachers to each prepare a large soup, I left recipes by the stereo. Georgia chose to do the Lima Been Soup, even though I had identified the OTHER soup on that page to be my request. I’m glad she did as I wonder if I would have ever tried this recipe other wise. And it is now my favorite and the most requested at Soma Ranch.

Fabulous Fast Food: Home Made Soup

Home made soups are a fabulous fast food! Here’s how:

At Soma Ranch we use recipes from the Body Ecology Diet book.

• Each recipe works well,
• Super easy to make and
• Take little time and make BIG nourishing taste

Now here’s the best news… as well as tasting great you save time…

• Make a big batch then freeze in small containers:
• use jam jars, reuse feta cheese containers and more.
• keep a permanent marker and painters tape on hand to easily write contents/date before freezing.

Taking a soup out the night before to easily defrost and reheat.
Soups are excellent as sauces - e.g. mix with quinoa pasta for a yummy twist on mac and cheese.

When a friend isn’t feeling well home made soup is an amazing thoughtful gift.

• Reach for a jar,
• wrap it with a bow,
• write a little message and
• drop off by their door.

POOF! a thoughtful gift that may be remembered for a lifetime that took minutes to prepare.

My favorite is “Lima Bean Soup”. Joe serves it as “This is your new favorite soup” when guests ask what the soup of the day is, guests then share how great the mystery soup tastes then exclaim surprise when they learn it’s lima bean.

Summary - don’t be put off if you think you don’t like lima beans, this soup is tasty, nourishing and super yummy.

Another Favorite is Claire’s Creamy Cauliflower Soup Recipe:

Ingredients (Makes 6 to 8 servings)

1 large head cauliflower, washed and cut into chunks
2 medium to large carrots, grated
1 large onion, chopped
1 large clove pressed garlic
1 teaspoon (or to taste) curry powder
Celtic Sea Salt to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter)
Approximately 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1. Place cauliflower in large pan, cover with filtered, salted water, and cook until tender. Do not drain water.
2. Place cauliflower and water in blender. Puree, adding the curry powder and more sea salt. (This will need to be done in two stages, as it is too much for one blender to accommodate).
3. Set aside cauliflower puree.
4. In a deep pan, saute onion in the coconut oil and ghee until it’s translucent. Add garlic, and saute gently for a few moments, being careful not to brown it. Take off the heat, and set aside
5. Cook the grated carrots in just enough water to cover until tender, being careful not to let them get mushy. Do not drain.
6. Add pureed cauliflower to onion and garlic mixture.
7. Using a slotted spoon, lift carrots from water and add to the soup along with most of the parsley, stirring gently. Add some of the carrot water, if desired, to thin the soup, or leave it thick and creamy.
8. Garnish each serving with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.

To read more about the diet, food combining and how to make beans work in your diet check out
Principles of Food Combining