Sucking down the green juice this season, but looking for more creative ways to throw it back? We love this gorgeous green soup recipe from superfood chef and author, Julie Morris. Her latest cookbook, Superfood Soups is full of serious eats like this bowl, full of spiralized cucumber, tofu and cashews that are just plain fun to eat. Why haven’t we been detoxing like this all along?
Though it may sound unusual, this mostly raw, warm-weather soup couldn’t be more satisfying – or healthy. You can make it into a light main meal by including extra tofu and doubling the portion size, or bring it to work in a Mason jar for an enviously healthy lunch.
GREEN JUICE SOUP WITH CUCUMBER NOODLES + RICE
Makes about 6 cups / 4 servings
Ingredients:
1 large cucumber
½ tsp sea salt
2 cups fresh green juice,* chilled
1 Tbsp yellow miso paste
¼ tsp kelp granules
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup cooked short brown rice, cooled
1 large avocado, cut into ½-inch dice
½ cup soft tofu, cut into ½-inch dice
¼ cup raw cashews, chopped
2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced
1 tsp dulse flakes
½ tsp black sesame seeds, for garnish
fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
edible flowers, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Trim away the ends of the cucumber. Use a spiralizer to cut the cucumber into spaghetti-like noodles. (Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to create broader noodles.) Slice long noodles into manageable lengths, about 6 inches. Place noodles in a colander and toss with salt. Set the colander on top of a bowl and drain noodles for 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, and then squeeze out any extra liquid to create crunchy, flexible noodles. Refrigerate until ready to use.
In a blender, combine the green juice, miso paste, kelp, and cayenne. Blend until smooth. Taste the mixture: the broth should have a strong but fresh savory flavor. If needed, adjust seasoning: add more miso for a saltier flavor or a little lemon to give it more bite. Add a little water to make the mixture less potent, if you like.
For each serving, place ¼ cup of rice in a shallow bowl. Mound ¼ of the cucumber on top of the rice, and layer with ¼ of the avocado and a little tofu. Pour ½ cup of the green juice broth in the bowl, then scatter the top with chopped cashews, scallions, dulse flakes, black sesame seeds, a couple of cilantro leaves, and flowers (if using). Serve chilled. Refrigerated, Green Juice Soup lasts for up to 2 days.
* For best results, use your favorite unsweetened green juice (homemade or commercial). If you’re buying green juice, look for one that contains mostly cucumber and celery juice, with additional greens, and very little or no sweet fruit (the sugar content should be under 12 grams per serving). Added ginger and lemon or lime is a definite plus. If green juice is not available, it’s easy to make your own – just blend a chopped cucumber with 1 cup of water and strain it through a fine mesh sieve or nut-milk bag.
Reprinted with permission from Superfood Soups © 2016 by Julie Morris, Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Photography by Oliver Barth.
For more light and lovable plant-based recipes, explore Julie Morris’ full cookbook collection here.
