Green Smoothie Soup

So, I really like the green smoothies in the morning, but sometimes I'm not in the mood for raw.  Sometimes I want that smooth creamy, warm goodness of a soup.  And I want the healing, balancing properties of the greens too.  So, a logical leap is to make a pureed soup with the greens.  I've made soups that were green before, like asparagus soup, broccoli soup or pea soup, but this soup is so much more! Those soups are definitely yum, but they just seem so one dimensional compared to the newest batch of soups.

I've made a few of these at this point, and I find that I really crave them after I have pigged out on junk.  They give a huge bump of nutrients, and they are alkaline type foods, which will balance the massive load of sugar you probably just ate while indulging.  They will help ward off sugary cravings too.  All in all, this is an awesome soup.  And, while J feels like the smoothies are too "crunchy" for him, (he won't admit it, he just is never "in the mood for it" when I make them, lol), he will devour the soup.  I love how you can almost feel your body taking in the nutrients!

One of the things that I've learned about cooking is that, once you learn some basic flavour combinations, cooking is really easy.  It's forgiving and unique.  So many of my "recipes" are never the same because I never have all of the same things in the pantry.  Or I am wanting (or not wanting) a particular punch from a certain spice.  Anyway, what I am trying to say that my usual disclaimer applies here, the same as always:  Take measurements with a grain of salt (ha-ha), and don't be afraid to improvise a little!

For these soups you can use broth or water.  I like using a nice chicken stock so that I get all of those nutrients too, but that is not always possible of practical, and water will work just fine too.

The first thing you want to do is prepare the veggies that take the longest to cook.  I like using lentils in my soup because they are pretty nutrient dense, have a bunch of fiber, and help me feel fuller than in I were to just eat the veggies.  So I add my (soaked) lentils to the broth, and which ever veggie is my base - broccoli, asparagus, split peas, etc.  I bring this to a boil and let it simmer.  While that is happening I chop up more veggies and add them in order of how long it takes to cook them.  Some things I like to use are squashes, carrot, parsnip, leeks and cucumber, then I add in some leafy greens like lettuce, arugula, kale, spinach, etc.  To season, thyme and rosemary work nice, but I really like a combo of coriander, sage, and mustard. Hitting it with a bit of balsamic vinegar can add a little umph to it too. Once everything is cooked through and soft, puree.  Again, adding rice or potato can help thicken a soup that is too thin. 

I love eating this with good crunchy bread and a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese; it's like heaven!  I bet this would also be good as a cream soup using fresh sour cream or yogurt.