Clean Eating Recipes Dinner
Souping is the new juicing. Soups have less sugar than juices, are warming and comforting at this time of year, plus they can be packed with veggies, protein and whole grains for added nutrient value and blood sugar management. While juice cleanses may be a thing of the past, souping is the cleanse du jour!
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Start Souping!
Drop a jeans size, bolster immunity and enjoy some truly satisfying sipping this week by doing a mini or weeklong soup cleanse. If you prefer to ease in, select your soups and enjoy a bowl for dinner every night for 5 to 7 days (you can make a different soup each day or repeat a few). Looking for something more intense? For 3 to 7 days, have a smoothie for breakfast and then soup for both lunch and dinner. This is a fresh and fun way to kick off a healthy new year – you’ll feel lighter and more energized right away!
Lemony Chickpea Soup
Hearty, nourishing chickpeas make this a soup that’s satisfying enough for a meal. The earthy flavors of the spices are reminiscent of a Middle Eastern dish and are brightened up with lemon juice and an optional topping of mixed herbs.
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Thai Kabocha Squash Soup
Kabocha, also called Japanese pumpkin, has a delectably sweet, creamy flesh. Slow-roasting this squash really brings out maximum flavor. If kabocha is not available in your area, feel free to subsitute an equal weight of acorn squash. Although acorn squash won’t be as sweet, you can add a few drops of maple syrup to the mix to make up for it. Do add in all the toppings, though, which provide great flavor and texture to the soup.
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Stracciatella Soup with White Beans
A hot bowl of stracciatella is the perfect antidote to a chill in the bones. Stracciatella means “little rags” in Italian and pertains to the straggly ribbons formed when eggs are drizzled in and cooked. Often, pastina is used in this soup, but beans are a heartier and less processed substitute. Parmesan rind adds an amazing savory quality, but freshly grated cheese will also do the trick.
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Chipotle Tomato Soup with Crispy Quinoa Topping
Chipotle chiles are smoked, dried jalapeño peppers, and they lend a rich flavor and some heat here. Although it’s simple to make, the combination of spicy, sweet and acidic flavors results in a satisfying bowl. Warning: the crispy quinoa topping is highly addictive. You might find yourself making it for other soups, too! We love piling this soup high with toppings like avocado, green onions, radishes and a generous squeeze of lime.
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Adzuki Bean & Vegetable Miso Soup
The slightly sweet flavor of adzuki beans pairs beautifully with earthy miso and mushrooms in this soup. Take care to dissolve miso into a bit of broth at the end of cooking and add to the soup off the heat. By avoiding boiling the miso, you’ll preserve the beneficial enzymes and bacteria.
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Soup Rx
Soup is not only good for the soul and the waistline, but with the right mix of ingredients, it can also help you get through the winter with your immune system in tip-top shape. Our delicious recipes prominently feature these 6 health gems.
- Garlic:Garlic is a natural antibiotic and immune booster. Garlic is rich in a variety of sulfur-containing compounds, the most important of which may be the sulfur compound allicin. Allicin doesn’t actually occur in fresh garlic until the raw cloves are crushed, chewed or minced. When preparing garlic for a soup, allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes after chopping to reap maximum benefits.
- Turmeric: Curcumin, an active substance in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and digestive properties that may also support the liver, the body’s detoxification organ. Combining turmeric and black pepper helps facilitate the absorption of turmeric into the bloodstream, so try to combine the two whenever possible.
- Homemade Bone Broth: As opposed to broth from a box, the homemade variety is rich in minerals, aids in digestion and strengthens the immune system. Homemade broths can also soothe a sore throat and break up congestion. Make your own bone broth to use in any of these soup recipes. (Check out our bone broth recipe.)
- Ginger: Ginger has the ability to improve circulation, which has a warming effect on the body, while it also contains anti-inflammatory compounds called gingerols. Ginger is an effective immune booster and helps to naturally detoxify the lungs as well as relieve sinus problems.
- Chile Peppers:Chiles are rich in capsaicin, a powerful phytonutrient with anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving benefits. Chiles are also loaded with antioxidant-rich carotenoids and can create heat in the body to rev the metabolism.
- Lemon: Lemons contain powerful antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and are rich in vitamin C. By adding freshly squeezed lemon juice to a soup at the end (such as in our Lemony Chickpea Soup), rather than cooking it, you’ll preserve more of the lemon’s health benefits.
