A dear friend of mine, Bea who was recently diagnosed with cancer has been reading a book about 'anti-cancer' foods. She and I looked through the book together and found several different pages listing the foods most likely to ward off various types of cancer. One thing I noticed was that, while the lists varied somewhat, these 5 foods were at the top of nearly every list: garlic, leeks, kale, collard greens and spinach. Though my family eats a moderate amount of these foods, I vowed to try to incorporate more into our diet.
Fast forward a few weeks to today - in a hurry, I googled 'fast, healthy meals' and found the following soup. I couldn't believe how simple and fast it was to make....and was even more pleased with how delicious it was! All of my children - even Wiggles, my fussiest eater, gobbled it up and asked for seconds. Wiggles remarked "I want to eat this whole pot of soup!" So, I would say it's definitely a winning recipe and will frequent our menu plan!
Though I didn't create the recipe (I originally found it on "www.wholeliving.com"), I did tweak it a bit and have re-named it "Bea's Anti-Cancer Soup" since she introduced me to the book, and making it reminds me of her. :)
Bea's Anti-Cancer Soup
Bring 1 quart water and 1 quart organic chicken or vegetable broth to a boil. Add 2 medium peeled and diced potatos, 8 minced garlic cloves, 4 sliced scallions (or onion), and 6-8 cups mixed chopped greens (I used a mixture of spinach, collard greens and kale. You could also use chard or any other greens.) Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes (I diced mine small and they were done in just a few minutes!). Using an immersion blender, blend a bit (the original recipe called for blending until smooth but I like a bit of texture so I did just enough to thicken the soup while keeping some chunks of kale) and season to taste (I added about 1 tsp each of ground black pepper and salt. The Mr. added a dash of hot sauce to his bowl which he says was perfect.) Spoon into bowls and top with shaved Parmesan. Serves 6 as a main dish (made about 12 bowls).
