The Power Veggie Soup!

I am a natural salad fan! I mean I love all kinds of salads: traditional, weird, with Japanese dressing, you name it! But when the weather starts getting super chilly (Jordan is freezing cold now!), I like to make soup.

Soup has an additional advantage too. Picky eaters won't notice all the goodies in there! Today I used all the vegetables in the house to make this soup and it turned out to be delicious! The best thing about it is that the pickiest eater in the house (my middle one) didn't notice the broccoli :)

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 table spoons olive oil
1 big onion (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 peeled carrots (chopped)
1 medium sweet potato (peeled and chopped)
1 big red sweet bell pepper (chopped)
1 head broccoli (broken florets and I used the stem too but peeled it first)
4 mushrooms (chopped)
Sea salt (as needed)
Black pepper (half tea spoonful)
-you can add ginger and turmeric for extra benefits (if you like the flavor)

Recipe:

- Use medium heat (olive oil should not be heated too much)
- Add olive oil, onion, garlic*, carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, sweet pepper, mushrooms, condiments and steer for a few minutes
- Add 3 liters water and bring to boil
- Simmer for 30 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked
- Blend using hand blender or high speed blender
- Strain if you like



Top with some sunflower seeds and enjoy!


This is the real photo! Hey, I'm not a photographer, but I had to use a nicer photo with the title :)

Health benefits:

All vegetables are an excellent source of fiber which helps digest the food slower and avoids the sudden rise of glucose in the blood. Fiber also is needed for preventing constipation and improving bowel function. Some fibers, like beta-glucans, lower cholesterol. 

Sweet potatoes and carrots are excellent sources of beta-carotene (vitamin A). They also contain other vitamins like vitamin C, B-complex, and minerals such as manganese.

Sweet bell peppers contain more vitamin C than oranges! They also contain vitamin E and B complex.

Broccoli! Isn't it the star of vegetables? Again an excellent source of vitamin C, the much needed vitamin in winter. Broccoli is also a good source of calcium and folate. Although it is well known the carrots are great for the eye, broccoli also contains two carotenoids that support good vision: lutein and zeaxanthin. It is a great antioxidant and supports beautiful skin.

Garlic is excellent in winter. It improves the immunity due it's natural antiviral and antifungal properties. You have to be careful when you cook it though.
* Mince the garlic and leave for at least 15 minutes before you heat it. The enzyme alliinase that converts alliin to allicin is unstable in heat. Allicin, however, is stable in heat and is the well studied beneficial ingredient in garlic. Garlic is also known for its great effect on the cardiovascular system because it contains selenium and polysulfides. 

Mushrooms: Studies are now showing that mushrooms can boost the immune system. Mushrooms can also be a source of the scarce vitamin B12. However, this depends on the farm where the mushroom is cultivated. Vitamin B12 is produced by healthy bacteria that lives on the surface of fresh mushrooms; so it depends on the microorganism diversity in the soil of the farm.

I hope you try this power soup and let me know what you think!