January is cold, dismal and generally a month when many people are feeling the pinch after Christmas, but it’s also soup month and the perfect time of year for hearty, warm and low cost soups to keep you warm an look after the pennies.
Soup is a great food to eat if you adopt an intermittent or juice fasting lifestyle too and can be eaten on a fasting day instead of juice on colder days.
Eating a living foods diet helps to keep toxins to a minimum, so you’re going to help to fight against cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s and lots of other nasties.
You can also have a go at making some of your own tasty soups too, so why not check out our A-Z of raw ingredients for ideas on ingredients, and try some of your own in a blender at home we’d love to see photos and hear about your homemade soups on the Amchara Facebook page.
Remember – blend up your ingredients and eat cold for maximum nutrition, but if you really can’t handle it cold, only warm it slightly as cooking depletes the ingredients of their nutritional value.
Tasty Vegan Miso Soup
This is a beautiful winter warmer that is perfect for using your calorie intake wisely on fasting days with highly nutritious ingredients.
INGREDIENTS:
For the soup, take 2 heaping tablespoons adzuki bean miso paste, 750ml of hot water and a pinch of sea salt.
For the nofu (optional), 210g raw cashews, 250ml Irish Moss gel, 325ml hot water, 2 tbsp lemon juice.
For the garnish, nori seaweed, hemp seeds, pinch cayenne pepper powder and pinch turmeric.
METHOD:
Nofu: Place ingredients in blender and blend on high speed blender until smooth.
Pour into a shallow pan, cover and refrigerate. Allow the Nofu to set in the fridge overnight for a more solid consistency.
Soup: Divide the bean miso between two bowls and stir into each 250ml of hot water and a pinch of sea salt until dissolved.
Add the rest of the hot water equally to each bowl and stir a little longer, then add the nofu and garnishes of your choice. Serve warm.
Raw Powerhouse Pea Soup
Peas are a nutritional powerhouse and they are low fat, high fibre and protein and can help to fight cancer, manage weight.
Also, with the high flavonoid antioxidant content they strengthen the immune system, have anti-ageing properties and help to boost energy levels.
What more could you want from a soup!?
INGREDIENTS:
150 grams green peas, 1 avocado, 350ml almond milk, a small onion, salt and pepper to taste.
METHOD:
Puree ¾ the peas in a blender with the almond milk, avocado, salt and pepper until a very smooth substance is formed.
Finally, garnish with the remaining peas and use the small side of a grater to grate fine onion on top.
Serve cold for full nutritional value, or warm slightly in a pan if you prefer to eat it warm.
Brilliant Beet Soup
Beetroot are well known for their amazing health benefits, and they are packed with vitamins, beta-carotene, potassium and iron, making them a great choice for a cold winter soup.
INGREDIENTS:
4 large peeled and chopped beets, 2 garlic cloves, ½ small diced onion, 2 tbsp lemon juice and 250ml hot water.
1 jalapeno pepper optional.
METHOD:
Add all to a blender and whizz it up if you want a nice spicy kick add the jalapeno.
Serve cold or slightly warm if you can’t manage it cold.
Glorious Gazpacho Soup
This tasty raw soup is one of the yummiest we’ve ever eaten and it is absolutely packed to the brim with nutritional goodness, especially if eaten raw without any cooking.
INGREDIENTS:
100ml water, 5 tomatoes, whole cucumber, 1 avocado, a medium onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 chilli pepper, handful of basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste.
METHOD:
Chop up your vegetables into chunks and place all ingredients into a blender with the water.
Blend until you form a smooth substance, then taste and add salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
Serve straight from the blender with basil leaves for garnish.
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