HEARTY Cauliflower and Leek Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Cauliflower Soup, Dairy Free, Hearty Soup, Paleo, vegetarian, Winter soup, Winter warmers

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here. And, if you want to know why I’m on the sugar-free version of the Autoimmune Protocol, you can read about that here.

When you have a good stock, you can make a good soup.(Martin Yan)

Well into week two of this sugar-free AIP caper and I’m starting to get into the swing of things. It must be said that not reaching for the fruit bowl when I feel like a snack has taken a bit of getting used to. And, there has certainly been a sense of withdrawal, which is interesting given my sugar consumption wasn’t that high before – but I’m definitely not going hungry and – once you wean yourself of the sugar-fixes, I’m living proof that it can be done.

You already know that I’m the queen of the breakfast hash from my photo montage post earlier in the week. With such a nutrient dense and filling breakfast, I find that I feel like more of a snack at lunch time. And, soup is fitting the bill perfectly – especially as we’ve been having a cold snap here in Sydney.

Cauliflower and Leek Soup With Crispy Bacon Bits
(Image by TSL)

Soup is a great way to get both more nourishing and gut healing bone broth and more nutrient-dense fresh vegetables into your body. And it’s so easy to make – about half an hour and you have enough for 3 or 4 days. It’s pretty cost efficient, too.

Good manners: The noise you don’t make when you’re eating soup.(Bennett Cerf)

It would be so easy to make a vegetarian version of this soup – just sub in vegetable stock (or even water) for the chicken stock. Instead of the bacon bits, garnish with freshly chopped parsley or chives.

• Servings: 3 - 4
• Time: about 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
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Ingredients:

1 x large leek
1 x eschalot (or a small onion)
1 x medium head of cauliflower
salt (I use pink Himalayan salt) & freshly ground pepper
1 x Tablespoon coconut oil (or fat of choice)
800mls chicken bone broth (or vegetable stock)

Optional extra:

1 x rasher bacon, chopped and fried until crisp in a teaspoon of coconut oil

Method

1.Peel and roughly chop your eschalot. Wash and roughly slice your leek. Wash, core and roughly chop your cauliflower.

2. In a large pot, heat your fat of choice. Throw in your eschalot and leek. Saute for about five minutes over a medium heat (until soft).

3. Add your cauliflower and bone broth. Bring to  the boil and then reduce to a low simmer for about 8 minutes until the cauliflower is ready. Season to your taste.

4. Puree your vegetables and stock in your blender. Check for seasoning.

5. Serve immediately and garnish with optional bacon bits (or fresh herbs).

E N J O Y !

 

WORLD FAMOUS Super-Power Chicken Soup

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Best Chicken Soup Recipe, Chicken Soup, Comfort Food, Healthy Soup, Immune Boosting Soup, Paleo, Winter Warmer

 

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

The cool thing about being famous is traveling. I have always wanted to travel across seas, like to Canada and stuff. (Britney Spears)

I think I mentioned making my world-famous-at-Casa-TSL chicken soup for my sister last week. It’s a bit of a winner because it tastes good AND is chock-full of super-power boosting nutritional goodness. Especially good when you feel a little under the weather. And, at this time of the year (down here, anyway) this soup is a great preventive measure against the winter sniffles.

There’s a reason chicken soup has reached cult status around the world, but perhaps most famously with Jewish mamas. It is the ultimate comfort food when made from scratch for someone you love. I made it for my sister after her return from hospital (although I’m a little surprised she had any room for soup after scoffing down all those gingerbread men…!) But, even making the soup for someone gives you a feeling of warmth and love. Amazing how food can do that…

While this recipe seems a little longer than my usual numbers, the process is very simple. The first stage is making the base stock (which can be prepared in advance) followed by throwing all the ingredients together for the soup. This is best done just before eating because there are a number of fresh ingredients (like garlic, ginger and turmeric) full of immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory goodness.

Gotta say – this is a very pleasant way to spend a couple of hours on a wintry weekend afternoon, too. And, your home will smell amazing!

• Servings: 6
• Time: 2 hours
• Difficulty: easy-peasey
• Print

Ingredients

For your base stock:
1 x whole happy chicken (mine was 1.3 kilos)
2 x large onions, finely chopped
1 x large carrot, cut into three pieces
1 x large stick of celery, cut into three pieces
The finely chopped stalks of one bunch of flat leaf parsley
1 x teaspoon finely chopped thyme
1 x Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
A small handful of wakame, or other sea vegetables (optional*)

For your soup:
2 x litres of chicken stock
2 x cups chicken meat, shredded
2 x stalks celery, finely diced
1 x large carrot, finely diced
1 x leek, halved and finely sliced
4 x  cloves garlic, minced
2 x teaspoons ginger, finely grated
1 x teaspoon fresh turmeric, finely grated
1 x bunch flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped (Use the tops of the stalks you put in the stock)
1/2 x bunch coriander, finely chopped
1 x Tablespoon coconut oil or lard
generous seasoning of sea salt and pepper

Method

For your base stock:

1. Pop your chicken in a large stock pot, with the veggies, herbs, vinegar and sea vegetables. Cover with cold filtered water.

2. Bring to the boil and then immediately reduce the heat to a strong simmer. Cook for 90 minutes. When the meat starts to separate easily from the bone, your chicken is cooked.

3. Remove the carrot and celery pieces and discard. Carefully remove the bird from the stock.

4. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone. You’ll need a generous couple of cups for the soup. Any leftover shredded chicken can be popped straight into the fridge. Either discard the bones or keep for further stock.

5. You’ll need a couple of litres of stock for the soup. Any leftover can be popped straight in the fridge or freezer for other cooking.

For your soup:

6. Heat your fat in the bottom of a largish pot. Add your finely diced celery, carrot, leek and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.

7. Pour in your stock and add the chicken meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Your vegetables should still have a little crunch, but be cooked through.

8. Add the garlic, turmeric and ginger. Simmer for another minute or two. Season generously with sea salt. Taste for seasoning.

9. Remove the pot from the heat and stir through the coriander and parsley. Serve immediately.

E N J O Y !

* Wakame is my favourite sea vegetable (sea weed). It is naturally high in iodine. I add it to soups, stocks and braises.

 

The Galloping Gourmet’s Trans-Tasman Root Vegetable Soup Competition…

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Protocol, Best Vegetable Soup, Dairy Free, Graham Kerr, Paleo, Soup, The Galloping Gourmet, vegetarian, Winter Warmer

(Original image sent by TSL’s Dad. Copy from Graham Kerr’s cookbook)

A couple of weeks ago, I posted about my all time FAVOURITE root vegetable soup from my childhood. My Mum used to make it. It was a Graham Kerr recipe. And, I didn’t actually have the recipe to hand when I was wanting to make it, so I ‘approximated’ using a bit of this and a dash of that. To be honest, I was pretty happy with the outcome. It wasn’t exactly the soup of my childhood, but it was thick and creamy and made me feel good… I was very happy with it.

And, then my father got involved.

Dad lives in New Zealand. He is a big fan of this wee blog. He reads every post. And, while he doesn’t always comment, he often tries my recipes and gives me his verdict. He’s a pretty fab’ Dad, really. My four-hour lamb is now his ‘new signature dish’! Dad and I compare notes on our Healthy Ice Cream flavour experiments (I love the sound of his feijoa and ginger version). And naturally, he and Mum tested my take on the root vegetable soup and, while they liked it, Dad said it wasn’t quite as good as the original.

That particular post actually generated quite the discussion amongst my immediate family. Clearly, just the thought of that soup brings back so many memories for us all.

And, just to prove his point, Dad sent my sister and me a copy of the original recipe from Graham Kerr’s circa 1967 ‘Galloping Gourmet’ cookbook (which, if you’re interested, is older than me!)

The Graham Kerr Cookbook (circa 1967) – very Don Draper!
(Image by TSL)

So, of course, I had to make the original soup (only, mine was adapted to fit the Autoimmune Protocol).

And, as much as it pains me to admit it, I think Dad was right. As good as my soup is, it’s not the original. And, when it comes to childhood memories, the original is what counts.

It is worth noting that LM – who does not have the same childhood memories – favours my version. It is entirely possible that he is a smidge biased… I’ll let you be the judge!

The original BEST Root Vegetable Soup

• Servings: 5-6
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy-peasy
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Adapted from the Graham Kerr recipe

Ingredients

1 x Tablespoon fat (I used lard)
340g carrots, peeled and chopped
170g kumara (sweet potato), peeled and chopped
170g parsnips, peeled and chopped
230g onions, peeled and chopped
3 x cloves garlic
860 mls chicken bone broth (substitute with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)
Salt
10 x Black peppercorns
5 x Bay-leaves
1 bunch parsley
5 sprigs thyme
230 mls Coconut milk

Method

1. Throw your fat into a large pot. Melt over a medium heat.

2. Add chopped vegetables and sweat for five minutes (I use a timer).

3. Add the bone broth, herbs, peppercorns and season generously with salt.

4. Bring to the boil. Pop on the lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for twenty minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

5. Remove the herbs. Carefully purée your mixture (in batches) in your blender. Add the coconut milk as you blend.

6. Taste for seasoning and serve with freshly chopped parsley as a garnish.

E N J O Y !

And, the first person to let me know, via a comment here or on the ‘This Sydney Life’ Facebook page, which soup they prefer (and why!) wins a prize. Immediate family members are not eligible!

Shared on the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Round Table

My FAVOURITE Root Vegetable Soup

Tags

AIP, Autpimmune Protocol, Cheap Eats, Cooking, Family, frugal, Graham Kerr, Paleo, Recipe, Soup, Vegetable Soup, vegetarian

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

What keeps me motivated is not the food itself but all the bonds and memories the food represents. (Michael Chiarello)

I have such fond memories of sitting down to a big bowl of my Mum’s soup on rainy winter afternoons when I was a girl. Mum had this thing about us all sitting down together as a family at meal times (which I now appreciate!). We would have lovely steaming bowls of soup served with toasted Vogel’s bread and butter. Dad’s favourite soup was a beef shin consommé. And mine was Mum’s root vegetable soup. I LOVED it. Turns out I still do.

Mum’s root vegetable soup was based on a Graham Kerr (aka the Galloping Gourmet) number. It’s a super thick and hearty vegetable soup. Chock full of goodness.

Even now, the memory of that soup takes me back to the round table at our old family home in Auckland…

Isn’t it lovely how certain foods can evoke such strong memories?

After I posted about bone broth the other day, a girlfriend asked for some ideas on how to incorporate more of this wonder-food into her family’s diet. One thing led to another. The synapses started firing in ways I don’t begin to understand, and I somehow arrived at my childhood root vegetable soup… A perfect way to use lots of yummy chicken bone broth. And, with the added bonus of including a seriously hefty amount of vegetables. Gotta’ be happy with that combo!

The beautiful thing about this soup is that, thanks to all those lovely root veggies, it is wonderfully sweet. Kids will love it!

And of course, this version is autoimmune protocol-friendly, too.

(Image by TSL)

Soup is a lot like a family. Each ingredient enhances the others; each batch has its own characteristics; and it needs time to simmer to reach full flavor. Marge Kennedy

So, here’s my take on Graham Kerr’s soup. I reckon it comes pretty close to his in flavour – and, I’ve added some turmeric because its such a potent anti-inflammatory.

I’m pretty chuffed with how my soup turned out. I’ll definitely be making it again, and I’d love to hear from you if you give it a go, too…

The BEST Root Vegetable Soup

• Servings: 5-6
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy-peasy
• Print

(Image by TSL)

Ingredients

1 x Tablespoon fat (I used coconut oil)
2 x large onions, chopped
2 x cloves garlic
750g kumara or sweet potato (2 large ones)
750g carrots (about 5 large ones)
1 x teaspoon dried sage
1 x teaspoon dried oregano
1 x teaspoon dried basil
1 x teaspoon turmeric
2 1/2 cups chicken bone broth/stock (substitute with vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)
1 x cup coconut milk
Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Method

1. Throw your fat into a large pot. Melt over a medium heat.

2. Add chopped onion and sweat for ten minutes (I use a timer) While the onions are working their magic, peel and chop the kumara and carrots. Peel and crush the garlic.

3. Add the garlic to the pot. Stir for a minute or two. Add the kumara, carrots, herbs and turmeric. Season generously with salt. Sweat the mixture for a further ten minutes. Give it a good stir every now and then.

4. Add the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil. Pop on the lid and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for thirty minutes.

5. Carefully purée your mixture (in batches) in your blender. Add the coconut milk as you blend.

6. Taste for seasoning and serve with freshly chopped parsley as a garnish.

E N J O Y !

Shared on the Phoenix Helix AIP Recipe Round Table