Gorgeously Green Soup

Unfortunately, we’re still waiting for the permanent sunshine promised to us via forecasts of a ‘three-month heatwave’, but every cloud has a silver lining and in this case, it is my Gorgeously Green Soup recipe… still perfectly suitable for our British springtime weather!

This “Green Soup” is as “Gorgeous” in taste, texture and appearance as it is good for you!  With the rice cake addition, being an amazing “trick” for making a smooth, creamy soup – sans the addition of any cream, dairy or fat – this can certainly be your “green juice for the chillier weather”.  A great and tasty way to pack a ton of nutrients, vitamins and minerals into one healthy meal and coming together in a matter of minutes, it couldn’t be easier either!

Packed-full of antioxidants and nutritional goodness, the “super-leaf” spinach is a good source of protein (a surprisingly high 3g per 100g!), calcium, magnesium, folate, dietary fibre, B Vitamins, vitamin C, Vitamin E, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin K, manganese, iron, zinc, copper and phosphorus, to name but a few!  Magnesium is an essential dietary component as it helps prevent headaches and fatigue – compounding the effects of stress – and with one cup of spinach providing 40% of your daily intake, this recipe is sure to replenish your magnesium stores!

Carrots provide one of the highest sources of pro-vitamin A carotenes, with just two carrots providing roughly four times the RDA!  They are also a fantastic source of Vitamin K, biotin, fibre, Vitamins C and B6, potassium and thiamine.  Carrots are also an excellent source of antioxidant compounds (carotenes) that help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer.  Interestingly, one study http://premier-pharmacy.com/product-category/migraine/ that examined the diets of 1300 elderly people in Massachusetts found that those who had at least one serving of carrots per day had a 60% reduction in their risk of heart attacks, compared to those who ate less than one serving of this carotenoid-rich veggie a day.  High carotene intake has also been linked to a 20% decrease in post-menopausal breast cancer and up to a 50% decrease in incidence of cancers of the bladder, cervix, prostate, colon, larynx, lung and oesophagus!  And of course, as most famously known – carrots also promote good vision, especially at night!

So in case its creamy, guilt-free deliciousness wasn’t enough to convince you, there are more than enough good reasons to whip up a batch of this soup before the scorching British heat is upon us (well, we can always hope, can’t we?)! 🙂 Enjoy!

Recipe

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 (300g) tinned baby carrots, drained
180g fresh spinach leaves
1 ½ cups hot vegetable stock (made with stock powder/ liquid stock)
½ tsp. salt
2 Brown Rice Cakes (e.g. Kallo)

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 2-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the spinach leaves, tinned carrots and hot stock and salt.  Stir together and simmer for around 5 minutes until the spinach leaves have wilted.  Turn off the heat and add the rice cakes by crumbling them in.  Stir well.  Leave for several minutes to get soggy. Purée the soup with a hand-held blender until well combined and completely smooth.  Serve and enjoy! 🙂