Green Lean Cuisine!

Kamalaya’s Green Vegetable Soup

Flex co-founder and director Heather Thomas Shalabi is often asked by friends and clients how she cooks her favourite green soups.

And Heather swears by this recipe from Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary in Koh Samui (http://kamalayacommunity.com/) which Heather has regularly visited when running annual workshops.

This serves two, and can be made quickly and easily. Best of all, the Kamalaya team say it’s a potent blend of vegetables, herbs and spices, loaded with essential nutrients for restoring health and vitality.

Rich in chlorophyll, “it is an effective blood cleanser and antioxidant source”. This is a very nourishing dish to support your detox or weight loss program.

To maximise the nutritional value, cut your vegetables finely to reduce cooking time. So here goes. Enjoy:

Ingredients

Asparagus 60 g

Carrot 60 g

Broccoli 80 g

Spinach 100 g

Garlic, finely chopped 3 cloves

Shallot, finely chopped 2 tbsp

Bay leaf 1

Zucchini 100 g

Leek 60 g

Celery 25 g

Vegetable stock 500 ml

Sea salt Pinch

Ground black pepper to taste

Coconut oil 7 ml

Herb garnish * 2 tbsp * The Herb Garnish in our video (http://kamalayacommunity.com/recipes/healthy-soups/organic-green-vegetable-detox-soup.html) is a mix of fresh parsley, tarragon, kaffir lime leaf, galangal, mint, coriander, ginger and lemongrass. You can make your own mix to suit your personal taste and what’s available. You need about 2 tablespoons when chopped.

Method

• Place the vegetable stock, garlic and shallots in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer.
• Prepare all the vegetables by chopping finely. The aim is minimise cooking time to preserve the nutrients.
• Once the stock is simmering, add all the chopped vegetables and the bay leaves. Simmer for 5-6 minutes (until vegetables are soft, but green colour is still preserved).
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before blending for approximately 40 seconds on medium speed.
• Return the blended soup to the saucepan, reheat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve the soup and sprinkle each with1 tbsp of the herb garnish mix and a small drizzle of coconut oil.