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Springtime Soup

Springtime Soup. A refreshing soup making use of the fresh and seasonal ingredients of Spring to help support the Liver energy – in Chinese Medicine.

Ingredients

Springtime Soup
2 litres Vegetable Stock (see recipe below)
12 fresh peas in pods – shelled
10 green beans – sliced
4 purple or green asparagus spears – chopped into even pieces
1 stick of celery- finely sliced
½ zucchini – julienned
2 iceberg lettuce leaves – torn into pieces
1 baby spinach leaves
1 fresh parsley coarsely chopped
2 spring onions – finely sliced
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Easy Vegetable Stock
2 ½ litres water
2 tsp sea salt
4 button mushrooms
¼ zucchini
3 silverbeet or swiss chard leaves and stalks
2 sticks of celery (include some leaves)
½ carrot
2 spring onions
1 dried shitake mushroom
¼ tsp cracked pepper
½ tsp ground coriander

Directions

To prepare ‘Easy Vegetable Stock, simply chop vegetables and place with water and seasoning into a heavy based saucepan.
Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
Strain off liquid and set aside your stock until ready to use.

Place vegetable stock in a heavy based saucepan on high heat.

Prepare vegetables as outlined. It is great to have a mix of different textures and sizes of veggies in the soup so feel free to mix it up!

Once stock is boiling, add the celery, asparagus, beans, peas and zucchini. Cook until tender but not overcooked (2-3 minutes). You want them to still retain their color and have some firmness.
Stir in the lettuce leaves, baby spinach and parsley and remove from heat.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with some sliced spring onion. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve.

Winter Black Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero and Seasonal Veg

Winter Black Bean Soup with Cavolo Nero and Seasonal Veg. Supports kidney energy and nourishes blood from a TCM perspective.

Ingredients

¾ Cup Black turtle beans dried
This will yield approximately 2 cups of cooked beans. If using canned beans, this is equivalent to about 2x 400g cans once they are drained. See **Note at Step 3
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Carrot peeled and diced
2 Celery stalks diced
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
½ tsp Allspice
2 tbsp Tomato paste
6 cups Water
400 g Tinned diced tomato
1 Sweet potato (small to medium) peeled and diced
1 Swede peeled and diced
8 Cavolo nero leaves- rinsed/ dried and chopped roughly
2 pinches Sea salt
Cracked pepper

Directions

Step 1

To prepare the beans – rinse thoroughly, place in a bowl and cover with plenty of cold water.
Leave to soak overnight in fridge.
Rinse beans, drain and set aside.

Step 2

Heat olive oil in a heavy based pan.
Gently saute celery and carrot until softened.
Stir through the paprika and allspice and fry until fragrant (approx 1 minute).
Add the tomato paste and cook for a further minute.

Step 3

Add the soaked, raw beans to the pan with 6 cups of water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 1 – 1 1/2 hours until beans are tender.
Add more water if needed to maintain a soupy consistency.
Do not add salt at this stage of the cooking process as it can cause the outer skin on the beans to become tough.

**Note: If using canned turtle beans, skip this step. Reduce the water to 4 cups and add in at the start of Step 4. The cooked beans can be added in with the Cavolo Nero in the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Step 4

Add the tinned tomato, sweet potato and swede, salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 20 minutes until root vegetables are tender.
Add the Cavolo Nero and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Adjust seasoning as needed.

Enjoy x

Spring Broad Beans

Spring Broad Beans. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, broad beans can help support the digestion in Spring. The addition of fresh herbs and lemon juice benefit the liver energy in TCM.

Ingredients

300 g broad beans – fresh
½ lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 pinch cracked pepper
2 tbsp parsley – fresh
1 tbsp mint or coriander – fresh (other fresh herbs may be substituted depending on individual tastes)

Directions

Remove broad beans from their pods.
Pour one litre of water into a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil.
Add the broad beans and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water.
Allow broad beans to cool and then discard their tough outer skins (to do this, gently squeeze until the inner green bean pops out)

Juice the half lemon and finely chop the fresh herbs.

Combine broad beans, lemon juice, salt and pepper, herbs and extra virgin olive oil.
Using a food processor or stick blender, pulse – until ingredients come together but retain a coarse texture.

Serve.