Green Soup

Immediately when I say Green Soup I’m sure your first reaction is “yuck”… 

And I think that would have been my first reaction too...  had you invited me over for dinner one evening, and informed me that Green Soup was on the menu. 

Why is that the color green instantly makes you just feel… well.. green?  

I mean, when I begin to think of red foods, I think strawberries, and Valentine’s Day with lots of chocolate and red hearts and cherries, and hot sauce and Mexican food, and apples and spaghetti, and tomatoes… and… on the list goes. I LOVE red food! 

So why is it that when you mention “green” food everyone gets all uptight, and says… oh, I’m not hungry tonight Mom. ??? Huh?   

So you came in the door starving, and just about knock me over in a dash to the stove to see what was cooking, and one look at the yummy green stuff simmering in the pot… and … “I’m not hungry" ???

I mean, what’s not to like about dark green, gently simmering vegetable soup?  Why is there an instant dislike that comes on in our brain when we register that this is what is for supper tonight? 

Hmm.

Just some of the many deep things I ponder.  Ever do that yourself?

Well.  I am on a mission to eat healthier, and eat more greens.   

Yup.  And my family doesn’t like it. 

Not.one.bit.  

Kale, collard greens, beet greens, chard, cabbage, broccoli, (well they do like broccoli, but the green stops there), mixed in with a healthy dose of parsley, cilantro, basil, sage, onions, garlic… doesn’t this sound wonderful! 

Have you ever made a green soup?  Well.  Neither had I. 

But I found a recipe in the Reader’s Digest edition last month that sparked an interest in green soup.  The author was really quite a talented writer.  She made that soup sound so good that all kinds of wonderful things were coming your way, if only you ate this marvelous green soup.  I figured… why not?  What do I have to lose?  Only a few pounds? Now that would be great! 

So, off to the store I went to buy my greens. 

I came home with all my goodies, and got busy making my green soup. 

First I had to chop up all the chard, mustard,,beet and collard greens.  

Then I fried the onions in some olive oil… and you wanna know what… I almost never made the green soup. I almost just ate the onions by themselves, they tasted that good! 

But I persevered because I knew that the green soup experience was waiting for me. 

So onward I went with my green soup concoction… a little bit of this, and a little bit of that… a dash of cayenne, or maybe a teaspoon… I like stuff hot, so more cayenne is always a win for me….

So, before I knew it, I had this lovely green soup brewing.

 Doesn’t it look marvelous? It certainly smelled marvelous too.  

The directions called to puree the whole mixture.  So this is what I did.  Because I always follow directions. 

This is when things began to take a dangerous turn.  You see, the green mixture in the pot, looked halfway edible.  But once I threw them into the blender… see what I mean? 

It turned into this pea green soup mixture…

I wasn’t too sure now about this whole adventure.  I didn’t know if I was going to be able to handle the green soup after all.  I mean this just looked like something…. My dog … well… I won’t finish what I thought.  I’ll just leave it to your own imagination.

But… really I had gone this far… and now it was time for the taste test…..

Not bad. 

Not amazing.  

Not horrible. Not icky.  

Well… kind of ... good.  Yes.  Positive thinking is working here.

Kind of good and green and slimy and nutrient packed, and healthful and just… well… wonderful.

It really was.  I really did enjoy my green soup. I made enough to give some away, and had enough left over to eat green soup for lunch and dinner for the next four days.  

I’m feeling pretty good about now, let me tell you… all those greens marching through my previously carbohydrate-overloaded body.  It has felt wonderful.  

 I’m ready to do it again. 

SO... 

Green soup is on the menu this weekend… come on over if you’d like a bite of this delish green soup that will just knock your socks off, and maybe your shoes too….

If you’d like the recipe, leave me a comment below, and I’ll be glad to forward you the copy of this green soup that will change your life… and maybe your body too!