This is my absolute favourite juice of the moment. You need a masticating juicer like the Samson from www.juicers.ie for juicing leafy greens. If you can get organic produce (especially spinach) so much the better. Non-organic spinach is one of top 3 most agri-chemical contaminated produce so its best avoided unless organic.
For 1 approximately 250ml serving
1/2 cucumber, including skin
3cm peeled ginger root
2 celery sticks
3 kale leaves (optional)
Large handful baby spinach or green cabbage leaves (cabbage is great for healing your gut)
Juice 1/2 lime or 1 dsp fresh lemon juice
Optional (for sweetness): 1 small apple, skin and all
Optional (for sweetness): A few drops of stevia to taste (see my “larder & shopping” section on this blog) to sweeten
Why this recipe is good for you: Because its contains ginger, lemon/lime and lots of magnesium-rich chlorophyll (greens) this will turbo charge your liver and aid detoxification. The natural enzymes in the raw, fresh juice aid digestion and help reduce inflammation in your digestive system, joints and more. Green vegetable based juices are much more beneficial than fruit juices because they are lower in sugars. Massive amounts of sugars (even from natural sources like fruit) slow liver function and aren’t conducive to 100% health. Refined sugars are more problematic still. Did you know that your thymus glads production of T-cells to fight infection is significantly lowered every time you eat sugar. A peer-reviewed study showed this. No wonder so many people get sick after Christmas, Easter and other sugury feasts that go on for days!
I sometimes also call this Dracula juice in order to get kids to try it. For first time vegetable juice tasters, I usually add apple juice (and less beetroot) to make it taste a little more familiar, though its pretty sweet anyway. If you want to make a big batch and have some for the next day, just store in an airtight jar in the fridge, adding a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice. The potent antioxidants in the lemon juice keep the juice fresher longer.
Using a masticating juicer like the Samson single auger juicer retains more nutrients but you will still get a decent juice from an ordinary rotary juicer (the type that spins and grates instead of gently crushing).
Do have this juice with some protein. Otherwise the hit of sugars (natural sugars in the root veg) causes spikes in blood sugar which are bad news if you want to look and feel your best.
To make about 350ml juice (2 servings)
5 medium/large carrots (about 500-600g in all)
1 small beetroot
2-3 sticks of celery, with leaves
2-3cm knob of ginger, peeled
Optional: generous squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
Juice ingredients
Why this is good for you Carrots are rich in beta carotene, which gives your skin a natural golden glow and helps prevent acne and other skin problems. It’s also an important antioxidant for your liver and immune system. Beetroot is rich in betaine, chromium and iron. These also help your liver clear the many toxins it has to metabolise every day to keep you well. Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory, anti-infection spice that soothes your digestive system too. The vegetables are rich in potassium, which helps your natural thyroid hormone action at cellular level. This is one of the reasons why eating a veggie rich diet helps you feel more energetic, cheerful, and motivated as well as helping your hair. Yes, your hair can thin if you don’t feed yourself potassium-rich foods (veg) to help your thyroid keep hair thick and strong. Like fruit, this juice is high in natural sugars so is best with a protein-containing meal or snack so it doesn’t cause erratic blood sugar levels. Erratic blood sugar levels can cause peaks and dips in energy and mood.
Now the weather is lovely, my thoughts turn to all those things I can make in advance to graze on over the weekend, or for weekday lunchboxes. The colours of the lemon zest, herbs, carrots and red peppers stand out like jewels against the earthy tones of the lentils. This makes a great main course alongside a large mixed salad and maybe sometimes starchy, like a steamed sliced sweet potato, or some quinoa anointed with pesto. You could also use this as a starter, or instead of potatoes/rice with some grilled/roast white fish or chicken. Good when trying to feed vegetarians and carnivores a the same meal!
For a quick weekday version of this classic French salad: Just cook the lentils and carrot with a bay leaf, drain and add a generous splash of balsamic vinegar, a little olive oil and lots of black pepper. Good with large multicoloured mixed salad.
Serves 3 as a main course salad, 6 as a starter
200g/1 mugful Puy lentils
1 medium/large carrot, peeled and diced into 1/8”/0.5cm squares
½ a red (or white) onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic
Lemon vinaigrette (see below) or a splash of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and lots of black pepper.
If you eat dairy: 50g goat/sheep feta, crumbled (optional)
2 teaspoons mint, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or coriander
Black pepper to taste
2 medium red peppers (optional i.e. if you are feeling fancy!)
1. Rinse the lentils, cover them generously with clean water and bring them to a boil with the garlic, carrot, onion and bay leaf.
2. Simmer until they are cooked (15-20 ins) but still hold their shape.
3. Drain the lentil mixture and save the liquid for making soups or gravies.
4. While the lentils are cooking prepare the red peppers (if using) by grilling under a hot grill until the skins are charred, then put them in a covered bowl to steam for 10 mins or so, then take off the charred skins with a knife. Do not rinse them under water or the sweet juices will be lost. Slit them open, remove the seeds, and cut into strips or squares.
5. While the lentils are still hot add the feta, vinaigrette, herbs and the red peppers and their juice, if they are ready.
For the Lemon vinaigrette:
Juice and peel of one lemon (ideally organic, or scrubbed very well)
1/2 level tsp paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic, crushed
¼ level teaspoon Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt (optional)
6-8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. Remove two wide strips of peel from the lemon with a veg peeler and slice them into narrow slivers.
2. Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl or put in a screw top jar and shake well.
Why this is good for you: Lentils are a great source of soluble fibre which feeds good bacteria to help your skin, digestion, mood and immunity. Lentils are a good source of protein instead of meat or fish at a meal so will keep you full for ages. Herbs and spices are antioxidant and help delay the visible signs of ageing (wrinkles, saggy skin, anyone?). Red peppers and carrots are a good source of beta carotene, which helps give your skin a golden glow, even without the aid of the sun, according to British study of university students. Another bonus of this salad is the raw extra virgin olive oil, which gives vitamin E to make your skin (and all your parts!) smooth and moisturised from within.
Anyone out there a ketchup-fiend? It’s really easy to make this good-for-you version. I can guarantee it’s as delicious as the normal sugar-laden version as I’ve just tasted it. The recipe comes from Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride’s book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” that has helped so many children with autism to develop more normally, and live happier, healthier lives. She in turn got the recipe from Elaine Gottshall, who wrote “The Specific Carbohydrate Diet” which has transformed the lives of many people with Crohn’s disease and colitis. FOR AN INSTANT NO-COOK VERSION I SOMETIMES USE TOMATO PUREE INSTEAD OF JUICE/PASSATA (SEE NO 3 BELOW FOR INSTRUCTIONS)
2 cups tomato juice (or 1 1/2 cups passata or sieved tomatoes, which I used as its handier – it gives a grainier texture which I like)
1-3 tbs white vinegar
honey to taste
bay leaf (optional)
Pepper and Atlantic sea salt/Himalayan salt to taste
Mix all the ingredients except the honey and simmer on the stove until thick, stirring often to prevent sticking. when almost the desired thickness, add honey to taste and complete cooking.
Ladle into sterilised jars and seal immediately or place in small containers and freeze.
EXPRESS VERSION: mix tomato puree from a tin with 1 tbs apple cider vinegar, a little honey to taste and away you go – this won’t keep for as long but should last at least 5 days in the fridge.
To sterilise jars and lids, boil in a saucepan with plenty of of water, with a lid on, for at least 15 minutes – don’t put hot food into cold jars, or cold food into hot jars, or they will shatter. For other ways of sterilising jars try this site: http://britishfood.about.com/od/glossary/ht/sterilizingjars.htm
Why this is better for you: Instead of being loaded with refined sugar or additives, this ketchup is sweetened with honey, which is less harmful for people with digestive difficulties. People with damage to their small intestine (like children with autism, people with food intolerances or digestive disorders, or who take non-steroidal anti inflammatories or antibiotics) often cannot digest certain sugars. In particular, disaccharide sugars are a problem for these people, who do not make enough digestive enzymes in their intestines. Eating these types of sugars, which occur in many foods (e.g. sugar, grains, potatoes) causes worsening of symptoms. Unlike refined sugar (a disaccharide), honey contains only simple sugars, which are easy for the body to absorb, even without the aid of a healthy digestive system. For this reason, this ketchup is allowed on the GAPS diet (see book above). The GAPs diet has been used to help people with dyspraxia, ADHD, dyslexia, depression and even schizophrenia.
This is lovely bread with a soft golden brown crust. It rises as well as any wheaten soda bread and looks and tastes pretty similar. As I’m coeliac, when friends and relatives come to visit, I make this bread and we can all eat the same. Everyone seems to like it. You could use this mixture for scones too, by placing the mixture in very well-oiled muffin tins instead of a loaf tin.
If you want to make a bread with fewer ingredients, check out my oat bread, flax bread and quinoa bread recipes.
Makes 1 loaf 11cm x 22cm
325 ml/generous 1½ cups unsweetened additive-free non-dairy milk (e.g. coconut, almond, hemp). For dairy eaters you can use buttermilk or kefir
25g whole linseeds (also called flax seeds), soaked 2 hours or overnight in the milk above
75g millet flour (make this by blitzing millet flakes in the food processor) or potato flour
150g brown rice flour
75g millet flakes
25g rice bran
½ level tsp natural sea salt (eg. Atlantic/Maldon/Himalayan – other salts contain harmful additives)
1 rounded teaspoon bread/baking soda (ideally free from toxic aliminium, sometimes listed as flow agent or anti-caking agent – health stores sell good quality bread soda)
1 large organic egg, beaten or if avoiding egg use No-Egg Egg Replacer and make up according to manufacturers instructions
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or virgin macadamia oil
Optional: 1 tbsp sesame or poppy seeds to sprinkle on top
Tinfoil
1 loaf tin (about 1250ml) – this common size is about 11cm x 22cm x 8cm
1. Before you start, remember to soak the whole linseeds for 2-3 hours or overnight in the buttermilk. This is crucial, otherwise the bread will not bind together.
2. Preheat oven to 190C/fan 175C/375F/Gas 5
3. Grease and bottom-line a loaf tin with baking parchment/silicon paper
4. Sieve the flours into a bowl and add the other dry ingredients and mix well.
5. Pour off a cupful of the buttermilk and reserve. Add the rest of the buttermilk with the flax (linseeds), oil and beaten egg to the dry ingredients.
6. Add enough of the reserved cupful of buttermilk to make a thick batter (sometimes the mix may take more liquid than at other times depending on the absorbency of the dry ingredients). The mixture should be soft enough to pour into the tin (a bit wetter than queen cake mixture). If you are using sesame or sunflower seeds, sprinkle them on top now.
7. Bake for about 1 hour. Test after 50 mins with a metal skewer to ensure that it is done in the middle (the skewer will come out clean if it is done). The bread will also shrink away a bit from the sides of the tin when cooked.
8. If the bread is getting too brown during baking, cover with a sheet tin foil.
9. Turn onto a wire tray to cool.
Variation:
You could also use buckwheat flakes or quinoa flakes instead of millet flakes. Millet, rice, quinoa and buckwheat are all naturally gluten-free.
* although beneficial nut and seed oils are damaged by baking, whole linseeds/sesame seeds are too small for the body to break down. This means they pass through the digestive system without their heat-damaged oils being digested either. The soluble fibre in the linseeds does you good by absorbing water and emitting a gell that provides food for your body’s beneficial bacteria to help your health.
Why this bread is better for you: This bread steers clear of the main four food allergens I encounter in my nutritional practice: gluten, dairy, yeast, and egg. Whether you are intolerant/allergic to it or not, gluten binds to N-acetyl glucosamine in our gut and inactivates this healing nutrient. That’s one reason why people adopting a gluten-free diet often get relief from digestive problems. Food allergies are usually easy to detect because the symptoms come on within 2 hours. This is different from food intolerances, where symptoms can take up to 48 hours to appear. Food intolerances are a sign that your small intestine is a bit damaged and so undigested foods are getting into your bloodstream and causing your immune system to “over-react”. Food intolerances are fixable by avoiding the food for a period and healing your gut using nutrition.
Millet is a grain that’s rich in magnesium, which you need to keep your mood chilled and your bowels and liver working well to remove toxins from your body. Brown rice flour and millet are also of course, wholegrains, so they contain chromium and B vitamins, also needed for mood, energy, and great skin.
Milk is a food that is great for stimulating rapid cell proliferation in babies and young animals. Unfortunately it’s not such an appropriate food for adults because research suggests it can fuel serious diseases of the breasts and prostate. .Although we do need calcium in our diet, non-dairy sources are more beneficial. Dark green leafy veg, nuts & seeds (especially almonds and ground sesame seeds), bone-in tinned salmon and sardines and fermented soya products contain high levels of calcium.
It’s been a real weather roller-coaster lately, with lovely sunshine one minute, hailstones, cold and sleet the next. I really felt the need of a nice, warming goulash the other day and trotted out this old favourite. This recipe is super-easy as you don’t have to brown anything so it’s ideal if you are at home for the morning or the afternoon and it can bubble away as you go about your business. It tastes even better the next day so I always make enough to have leftovers.
For 4:
450g organic stewing beef or round steak, or venison if available – in 4 serving size pieces, or else diced, whichever you prefer – try to get something with some fat in – super-lean round steak goes very tough in slow cooking!
225g onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped roughly
1-2 rounded tsp paprika
1 teaspoon of (gluten-free) miso paste or 1 Kallo (gluten-free) beef stock cube, dissolved in 250ml boiling water
1 tin chopped tomatoes (about 400g)
1 heaped tsp tomato puree
½ glass red wine, if handy (avoid if on a candida diet)
3 carrots, chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 400g tins of white haricot beans, drained and rinsed (or 200g dried beans, soaked overnight and boiled hard for ½ hour)
1 heaped tsp herbes de Provence (usually a mix of rosemary, oregano, basil), mixed herbs or (at a pinch) dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
3 heaped tbs chopped parsley
To thicken (optional) 2 tsp ground rice or brown rice flour
1. If intending to cook this in the oven then preheat oven to 180C/GM4
2. Trim the meat of visible fat.
3. Line the base of a heavy bottomed deep sided ovenproof casserole dish or saucepan with the meat. The meat can be in flat pieces or bite-sized chunks, whichever you prefer.
4. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, stock or water, tomatoes, tomato puree, beans, wine if using, carrots, celery, pepper and herbs de Provence. If using home-cooked haricot beans, add them now.
5. If using a saucepan: bring to the boil, then simmer very gently with the lid on until the meat is tender – about 2 hours if using round/stewing beef.
If using the an ovenproof casserole: cover the casserole with the lid and cook in the oven until the meat is tender – about 2 hours. If using tinned haricot beans, add, mix in and warm through the tinned haricot beans now and warm through.
6. If you like you can thicken the stew juices by mixing in the ground rice or rice flour a few minutes before the end of cooking and whisking until thickened. I don’t usually bother.
7. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top just before serving.
Serve with:
Steamed broccoli drizzled with a little fresh lemon juice.
Or
A large leaf salad of bitter leaves (rocket, spinach, watercress) dressed with extra virgin olive oil
Variation:
If you can eat dairy, top each portion with a dessertspoon of natural organic unsweetened yoghurt or Greek yoghurt (which is made from ewe’s milk) – it gives a lovely tang.
Why this is good for you White haricot beans are filling and also provide soluble fibre which helps feed friendly bacteria in your gut. This is important for skin and digestive health as well as mood. Beans are also rich in magnesium, which helps reduce stress, insomnia and irritability. Herbs and spices such as paprika and herbes de Provence have antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties – great if you have problem skin, an inflamed digestive system, or want to keep looking younger for longer. Note: Some people suffering from ME/chronic fatigue syndrome may benefit from more red meat in the diet than the general guideline of once or twice a week. This is because red meat contains a substance known acetyl carnitine. Poor energy production in ME can impair the production and utilisation of acetyl carnitine. For these people, eating extra lean and ideally organic red meat daily is of benefit. I know it certainly helped me, whereas a totally vegetarian diet definitely did not. For more information and a useful e-book on recovering from ME/chronic fatigue syndrome see the website of Dr Sarah Myhill, a brilliant GP specialising in this area www.drmyhill.co.uk
Quinoa is technically not a grain but a seed and is seriously easy to cook. It’s really rich in protein at a whopping 14% so will keep you fuller longer. Make sure to buy whole quinoa grains, not quinoa flakes or flour. If you (or your kids) struggle to like new tastes, stir in something strong-tasting and familiar (like basil pesto or tomato sauce) prior to serving for the first time. For a really simple meal, I sometimes cook enough quinoa and when its done but still hot, stir in a drained rinsed tin of chickpeas, a couple of spoons of dairy-free basil/sundried tomato pesto, and some chopped rocket or baby spinach leaves, a little chopped red onion, a clove of crushed garlic and lots of extra virgin olive oil. This makes a gorgeous warm salad and is lovely cold too (e.g. in lunchboxes). Simple cooked quinoa with pesto would make a great after-school snack…
Put your quinoa into a saucepan. Add the boiling water and cook, covered with a lid or a plate, for about 10 mins. No need to stir. Remember never to cook quinoa in cold water if you want it to be fluffy and delicious.
The grains are done when you can see little steam holes in the surface, the water will be absorbed and you can see little curly white lines at the edges of the grains. If not all the water has been absorbed, turn off the heat, replace the lid and leave for 5 minutes to fluff up.
Cooked quinoa
Why this is good for you Quinoa is rich in essential vitamins and minerals as well as protein so its a pretty good all round food. It’s a great one to introduce to your kids if you struggle to get them to eat enough protein (eg. meat, fish, eggs, beans) instead of just pasta and bread all the time. Because quinoa is so high in protein it does not cause the sharp spikes and troughs in blood sugar that so often contribute to energy problems, hyperactivity and concentration difficulties. It’s also rich in magnesium which you need for keeping chilled out, and potassium which you need for good thyroid function, energy and mood. Its also high in folic acid, betaine and choline, which are fantastic for your brain health.Buy organic if you can, as it contains higher levels of essential minerals due to not being exposed to the pesticide glyphosphate (roundup) (see my April 2014 newsletter, shortly to be posted on www.annacollins.ie)
I like to keep weekday dinners really simple and sauces like this are my way of make even the simplest grilled fish and steamed vegetables gorgeous. This is a bright green and pink sauce that’s great for adding flavour to simple grilled, steamed or roast fish or chicken. You could also use it to liven up hardboiled eggs, or even stir it into some cooked butter beans, chickpeas or white haricots to create a filling salad. If you like pungent, slightly salty, earthy flavours you will love this. And of course the garlic and herbs are a vitality-booster.
Makes 1 jar (to serve 6)
Large bunch flat-leaf parsley
Small handful of basil leaves, if available
3 anchovies (the brown, salted kind if possible, instead of the vinegary white ones)
1 large clove garlic (or 2 small) peeled and crushed or finely chopped
1/2 tbs finely chopped shallot (or red onions)
Optional: 1 heaped tbs gluten-free wholegrain breadcrumbs (if you are not gluten intolerant use sourdough wholemeal breadcrumbs) – the crumbs thicken the sauce – personally I don’t care whether it’t thickened or not so I never bother.
1 tbsp capers (or 2 if you want) – squeeze out some of the vinegar before using or, better still, buy salted capers and simply rinse off the salt before using)
Extra virgin olive oil, as high quality as you can manage
Remove the thick stalks from the parsley and chop it and the basil as finely as you can manage. Place in a bowl.
Chop the anchovies and the capers finely and add to the bowl, along with the garlic, breadcrumbs, chopped shallot/red onion and capers. Add enough olive oil to almost cover everything and mix well.
If you have time, leave this for 20 minutes or more for the flavours to amalgamate before serving. Or serve a dollop on top of some simply-cooked chicken or fish straight away. This will keep in a small airtight jar in the fridge for several days but basil does discolour once chopped. So you might only want to chop enough basil for what you will use the same day.
Why this is good for you: Raw extra virgin olive oil is a fantastic source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is in fact not just one substance, but a collection of different compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols) that occur naturally in foods. You need vitamin E for beautiful smooth skin and for helping your body repair and maintain itself inside and out to stay younger longer. Its also crucial for a healthy libido! Garlic supports liver function for clearing both natural and man-made chemical toxins out of your body. Garlic thins your blood so can reduce high blood pressure naturally. It’s also a food that helps kill gut infections and also encourages the growth of good bacteria. Parsley helps support your immune system, your kidney and bladder function and also helps kill the smell of garlic on your breath. Its rich in vitamin C, which reactivates vitamin E in your body. Parsley also calms your digestive system and can reduce gas.
This is a lovely, very white-looking bread that’s still made with wholegrain rice and quinoa flour. I adapted this from a Dove’s Farm recipe and was hard pressed to stop eating it last night with my buttery spread for bread (see blog). It’s 100% gluten-free, egg-free and dairy-free. Using quinoa flour in this recipe (instead of just rice flour) helps keep you fuller longer. This is because quinoa (pronounced “keen-wa”) is really a seed and not a grain. Quinoa is rich in protein (a whopping 14g per 100g!). If you are catering for fussy tastes which have not tried quinoa before, try omitting the quinoa and substituting with brown rice flour. The next time you make it, add a little quinoa flour, and keep going until you are up to 50% quinoa. The bread will be very sweet made with rice flour only, as rice is naturally very high in sugars.
Makes 1 large (1kg) loaf
1kg loaf tin (a standard loaf tin), oiled and (if you have some greaseproof or silicon paper) bottom-lined
Tinfoil
550ml warm water
2 level tsp honey (this is essential, otherwise the yeast won’t come alive)
2 rounded tsp quick yeast
250g quinoa flour, organic if possible
250g brown rice flour, organic if possible
2 tsp xanthan gum
1 scant level tsp Himalayan or Atlantic sea salt (or omit completely)
3 tbsp oil: virgin macadamia oil or (if you cant get this) olive oil
In a jug or bowl mix the warm water, honey and quick yeast
Into a separate, large bowl sieve the rice flour, quinoa flour, xanthan gum and salt, if using.
Beat in the yeast liquid and the oil and beat until well mixed.
Pour into tin, smooth the top and leave to rise in a warm place for 90 minutes. I put a small chopping board on top of a warm radiator for this and balance the tin on top of this, which seems to rise the dough really well.
Cover the tin with oiled tinfoil. After around 75 minutes, turn your oven on to 220C/200 C fan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until a needle inserted into the centre of the bread comes out clean.
Why this is better for you Brown rice and quinoa are whole foods (they have not been refined). So they’re higher in minerals and vitamins than their white counterparts. That said, all grains (especially rice) are still naturally high in sugars. That means if you want your meals to be vitality-boosting, it’s a good idea to keep bread (or other starchy foods, like potatoes) to no more than 1/4 of the meal!! Research shows that eating only small amounts of carbohydrates (eg. grains, root veg) with lots of veggies and moderate protein helps your body function better than if you live off mostly starchy foods. Because quinoa is high in protein and protein slows digestion, this bread will keep you fuller, longer, reducing the likelihood of energy dips, weight fain and stress due to fluctuating blood sugar.
I created this as a keep-you-fuller-for-longer version of classic leek soup. I swapped the potatoes for white beans because potatoes are mostly just sugars whereas beans are full of nutrients and protein. This is a fantastic winter warmer and a meal in itself. If you feel like it, eat it with some wholemeal bread such as gluten-free or (if you can eat gluten) 100% rye sourdough or other wholemeal 100% sourdough bread.. Enjoy.
For 3:
600g leeks, including all the green part
800ml chicken stock (or use 1 Kallo chicken stock cube and water)
1 large clove garlic, peeled and sliced
About 425g of cooked, drained no-added sugar white beans
(eg. white haricots, canellini or butter beans) – use a tin if you can’t soak and cook your own beans.
Black pepper
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil and extra for drizzling
2 tbs fresh or frozen chopped parsley if you have it
1. Wash and slice the leeks and place in a large saucepan with the garlic and 1 dtbs olive oil and 1 tbs of clean water or stock.
2. Sweat, covered, until leeks are wilted and soft.
3. Add the stock, beans and simmer for a few minutes to warm through.
4. You can eat this soup 3 ways: a) As it is, lots of things floating in broth b) blend half of it with the parsley and mix back in with unblended soup c) blend the whole thing for a totally smooth end product.
5. If you have blended the soup, add water if too thick, reaheat and serve with lots of freshly ground black pepper and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Variations:
Adding a squeeze of lemon juice when serving helps digestion by raising stomach acidity (often low in those over 50 or who suffer from bloating after eating).
Add a heaped teaspoon of dried tarragon when the soup is cooked. It has a lovely buttery flavour and as a herb helps reduce unhelpful bacteria in your gut.
Why this is good for you: Leeks, garlic beans are both a rich source of soluble fibre which encourages friendly bacteria (“probiotics”) to flourish in your gut. Probiotics help balance both male and female hormones, keep skin clear and healthy and promote a healthy, resilient digestive system. They are also critical for a strong immune system that sees off infection AND doesn’t overreact (as seen in autoimmune and inflammatory conditions like hypothyroidism, arthritis, eczema and asthma).
Soluble fibre also binds (sticks to) toxins such mercury, cadmium, lead and arsenic in your gut. If you have mercury fillings, eat tuna, non-organic rice or smoke, you can accumulate mercury, arsenic and cadmium in your body. All toxins need to be quickly eliminated from the body in the stools. Soluble fibre absorbs water, helping to bulk up stools in your colon, thus reducing the risk of constipation. Constipation allows reabsorption of toxins from your bowel which can lead to a variety of health effects such as poor skin, anxiety, headaches, hair loss, hormonal imbalance and weight gain. The protein in the beans and the extra virgin olive oil both help you feel fuller for longer after eating this hearty soup.
