winter detox vegetable noodle soup
HAPPY 2021! Let’s launch the new year with a nourishing, warm bowl of Winter Detox Vegetable Noodle Soup. Fragrant and filling with a savory broth, loads of green vegetables, all poured overtop whatever noodles fill your fancy.
I’ll hardly miss 2020, as I think is universal amongst anyone who consciously saw it through. My birthday fell the other Wednesday and such, despite a fairly rough morning during which I felt aimless and doused in a self-induced loneliness, offered a tendril of hope for age 27 and the upcoming year. J and I took a walk around the city and the day proved beautiful, clear and somewhat windy with a mild air temperature and low humidity. The water gleamed, boats chugged along gently, the skyline glimmered and people milled to and fro. We stepped onto an overlook, peered across to our neighborhood just opposite. I blew a leaf into the water, like a dandelion. Whatever trace of fear I experienced lapped onto the surfacr with the leaf, and afterwards I loosened up enough to truly enjoy my day.
Naturally, with birthdays comes alarming food habits. I do not engage in a regular and hefty consumption of sugar – which might run au contraire in your mind considering the volume of cookies I created for my Holiday Cookie Box – but on special occasions I allow myself much more flexibility and that can be scary to anyone who witnesses. I baked a huge layer cake and J and I noshed about 1/4 of it in one night. It was SO good, but the following morning at work I stumbled about as if hungover from the massive saccharine crash and rubbed my eyes continuously to loosen the brain fog. I never knew sugar buzzing in and out of my system could release such a drunken-like stupor. On Thursday, after a few final photographs of the cake, I sliced it up and put it in the freezer for when I’m less traumatized by its tantalizing deliciousness.
Hence, a bit of a reboot is in order. Winter is just settling into many locales and hot soup saves chilly souls. When I say “detox” I do not mean to expect to enter Nirvana or some other illusion about cleansing and purging and all that crap. The nutrients and antioxidants in this soup will truly make you feel better by providing the body with vitamins, hydration, protein, and satiety. Fully vegan and undoubtedly good. I downed two bowls easily. If you really don’t want pasta, you can omit, but noodles are a great vessel for sopping up extra broth and add additional carbohydrates. Solid brain food, in other words!
Any cooking or food related goals for 2021? I intend to really hone in on my arsenal in the kitchen so I can continue providing you with inspiration to lessen takeout and introduce more homecooked meals into your homes. I also really want to make some slamming good cupcakes at some point.
Leave a comment below with your thoughts and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram!
My favorite healthy recipes to start 2021 with a nutritious bang:
Winter Quinoa Salad with Honey Baked Figs and Sweet Apple Tahini Vinaigrette
Apple Cider Glazed Baked Salmon with Butternut Squash Quinoa Pilaf
Loaded French Lentil, Black Bean, and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1 cup diced celery
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp grated ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/4 cup lime juice (from 2-3 limes)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup lentils, dry
- 6 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups baby kale
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- 8 oz wide noodles such as fettuccini, rice noodles, or egg noodles
- limes, parsley, and green onions, to top
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or sauce pot over medium. Cook shallot, carrot, and celery until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute more, then mix in turmeric, red pepper flakes, and honey. Add lime juice, soy sauce, lentils, and broth or water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, then add broccoli and cook until lentils and broccoli soften, about 3-4 minutes more. Stir kale and parsley until kale wilts. Turn off heat and cover pot to keep warm.
- While soup cooks, prepare noodles of choice according to package directions.
- To serve, place a portion of noodles into a bowl, then top with soup and generous amounts of broth. Sprinkle green onions and parsley atop, and squeeze lime juice to finish. Enjoy!
