One of our favorite suggestions for improving health is to focus your diet around one specific healing food for a time. A food that is both nourishing with fresh herbs, spices and vegetables, and one that promotes a gentle cleansing of the system. Just one healing recipe gives the body the time it needs for regeneration and revitalization, which can benefit anyone, at any level of health. By focusing in on just one healing recipe you can create healthy change easily. Without this kind of simple focus it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the details involved in making healthy choices – so much so that we end up implementing none of them. By having just one dish to focus your attention on, you’re set up for success. Despite how busy your schedule may be, you know that you will be eating at least one healthy meal a day, which ends up going a long way in terms of health advancement.
This recipe for Tom Kha Kai soup was inspired with that in mind. Tom Kha Kai is a traditional Thai soup that has been classically used for its medicinal value. Rich in healing fats from its coconut milk base, anti-infective compounds from shiitake mushrooms, cleansing agents from coriander, antimicrobial properties from lemongrass, and circulatory support from ginger, this soup goes beyond just the comfort of a creamy soup. With all these health benefits already included, we couldn’t think of a better soup to provide the foundation for a healing food recipe. By adding Pressed Juicery’s Greens 1, which is one of the most nutrient-dense juices around, containing kale, spinach, romaine, parsley, cucumber and celery we took this soup to the next level. We added a few extra vegetables to boost the soup’s healing capabilities such as onion, garlic and cabbage too.
Utilizing fresh-pressed juice in a recipe is a great way to diversify the nutrient profile of your meal. Just remember that the nutrients in juice are easily damaged by heat, so make sure not to heat the juice at too high of a temperature to prevent the loss of its critical vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
Greens 1 Tom Kha Kai Soup
serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp almond oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup zucchini, chopped
3 cup green cabbage, chopped
2 Tbsp ginger, peeled and minced
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
1 Tbsp lemongrass, crushed and chopped finely
1 kaffir lime leaf
1/2 small serrano pepper, de-seeded and minced
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 lime, juiced
1 cup vegetable broth
1 bottle Pressed Juicery Greens 1
1 cup coconut milk, full-fat
1 tsp sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
1 organic chicken breast, without skin, cut into bite-sized pieces
* If you would like to make this recipe vegan, simply substitute organic tempeh or white lima beans for the chicken.
Directions:
For the chicken:
In a medium-sized sauté pan, add pieces of chicken and cook on medium-low heat. Flip over as soon as the chicken turns white, about 5-7 minutes. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 more minutes. Set aside.
For the soup:
Add oil to a large saucepan or medium soup pot, and over medium heat, cook onion and garlic for about 5-7 minutes, until onion is translucent.
Next add lemongrass, ginger and coconut milk, and cook for about 5 minutes until simmering. Then add lime leaf, mushroom, pepper, cabbage, zucchini, juice from the lime, salt and broth. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until cabbage is cooked.
Add in cilantro, tomato, chicken and Greens 1. Cook for another 5 minutes, and then add cinnamon. At this point taste, and if needed, add more salt.
Serve warm.
