Let’s face it. It’s winter, It’s 2020 & despite the crescendoing chaos of 2020, if we have food on the table, a roof over our heads & options for nutrition the reality is that we are in the very small minority of the worlds population experiencing a pandemic with this luxury.

We are all feeling it –  the concern for our brothers and sisters around the world, the uncertainty for our families.. it is as if we are all innately connected by 1 heartbeat. When one suffers we all suffer, when one faces adversity, we all feel it as if it’s in our homes.

My purpose with this recipe, is to keep you nourished nutritionally, to provide ways to make meals that are economical, healthy and deeply nourishing. Soup is a great way to do so. Here is a delicious simple recipe (probably one of my best yet! ) for some pumpkin cauliflower thyme soup.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of cauliflower chopped

1 stalk of leek. Chopped.

1/4 jap pumpkin chopped without the skin

1 large brown onion chopped in big pieces.

1/3 teaspoon nutmeg

6 cloves of Italian garlic to ward off the 2020 demons 😉

Fresh thyme – a small handful – Strip the leaves off discard the stalks.

2 tablespoons of butter

1/2 head of parsley

A pinch of cinnamon.

1/2 cup of bone broth

500mls of water

1 level teaspoon of sea salt

Black pepper.

Olive oil

 

Instructions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius – Let’s get this party started

Step 2: Line an oven tray with baking paper, lightly grease the paper with some olive oil

Step 3: In a separate bowl, mix the chopped pumpkin, cauliflower and onion with 6 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 teaspoon of sea salt, a splash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of butter,  1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg, a dash of cinnamon and some black pepper.

Step 4: Add the bowl contents into the baking tray, and put the veggies in the oven for 30 – 45 minutes or until they soften.

Step 5: In the final 5 minutes of being in the oven, Remove the oven tray and add the chopped parsley and thyme leaves to the oven veggies, mix it all together and put the tray back in the oven for 5 minutes. The purpose of this last minute add on is not to burn the fragrant herbs and still retain maximum flavour.

Step 5: In a deep enough saucepan for your soup, heat the pan at medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.

Step 6: Once the butter has melted, add the chopped leek and some black pepper. Sautee until the leek softens.

Step 7: Add all the veggies from the oven into the saucepan containing leek with 1/2 cup of bone broth (or stock will do) & 500mls of water.

Step 8: Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 9: Turn off your stove and use a hand blender to blend the ingredients together.

Allow to cool a little and enjoy.

We are all in this 2020 sh*!storm together. We really are. Let’s just take it day by day or as Author Anne Lamont eloquently recounted in her book – her fathers helpful advice, “bird by bird.”

May this bring you comfort during uncertain times.

Sahtein

Reem 🙂

©reemasaabnaturopathy2020