Spring Tonic Soup

Spring is around the corner and it is time to do a little spring cleaning.

One of my favorite ways to get ready for spring and do spring cleaning from a food perspective is to make a big batch of this yummy tonic soup. It’s nice for those afternoons and evenings that are still feeling wintery chilled. The vegetables are blood builders and the herbs and spices stimulate cleansing of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas. The beets give it a fabulous red color. Curl up with a bowl of lovely nourishing soup and get ready for spring.  

2 cloves of Garlic, crushed

¼ to ½ in of fresh Ginger, crushed or minced

1 medium Shallot, minced

¼ in. of turmeric root, minced

½ to 1 in. of Burdock root, minced

2 medium fresh Beets, peeled and diced

1 large bunch of Kale, diced up

1 Qt of organic Vegetable or Chicken Broth

Sautee the shallots in a skillet until soft and translucent, then add the garlic. Sautee onion and garlic for a little bit longer, after garlic has softened and become aromatic add the ginger. Give a few quick stirs around the pan and then pour in the broth. Bring the broth to a boil. As soon as it boils turn down the heat enough to maintain a simmer. Add the burdock root, turmeric and beets. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the Kale, simmer until wilted and tender. Soup is ready. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Feel free to add other vegetables to this recipe. Keep in mind that sweet and starchy vegetables, such as yams or potatoes will lessen the tonic quality slightly.