Lemon Vegetable Soup
How does that saying go? Feed a cold, starve a something….I don’t like starving anything, I look for every excuse to feed anything! And, being the hypochondriac that I am, whenever I feel the slightest tickle in my throat, hint of a cough, or mere bit of sluggishness I immediately bring on the onslaught of home food remedies. My tried-and-true mélange of remedies include 1.) a dose of Airborne; 2.) a bag of oranges; 3.) green tea with lemon and honey; 4.) and this amazing, nutrient packed lemon and vegetable soup. Basically, you can throw anything and everything in this soup that you want. I like a mix of carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, kale and white beans. It’s a nice mix of textures and flavors. And as an added benefit, this soup is ready in almost no time at all! It is worth the little extra effort over heating up a can of that so-called “chicken soup”. Plus, when you combine all these nutrient packed veggies, you are sure to ward of that cold! Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene) and vitamin C. Both beta-carotene and vitamin C are very powerful antioxidants that work in the body to eliminate free radicals. The carrots are an excellent source of antioxidants as well, and are the richest vegetable source of vitamin A carotenes (428% of your daily value). Carrots’ antioxidant compounds help protect against cardiovascular disease and cancer and also promote good vision, especially night vision. And, believe it or not, zucchini is not only low in calories (one medium-sized zucchini has just 25 calories), but is also rich in vitamin C, and contains additional cardiovascular protective nutrients such as folate and vitamin B6. So EAT UP!!!
Total Steps
5
Ingredients
12
Tools Needed
5
Ingredients
- 32.0 ounce container chicken or vegetable stock
- 1.0 small sweet potato
- 3.0 carrots
- 1-2 green zucchini
- 1-2 yellow zucchini
- 1.0 can cannellini beans
- 1.0 bunch kale
- 1.0 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1.0 teaspoon vegeta seasoning
- Salt and pepper(optional)
Instructions
Step 1
In a large pot, bring the stock to a slow simmer. Then, turn the heat to medium/medium-low.
Step 2
While the stock is heating, dice the sweet potato and carrots into small pieces. Once the stock has reached a simmer, add the diced sweet potato and carrots to the pot.
Step 3
Meanwhile, dice the zucchini. Add the diced zucchini to the pot after the sweet potato and carrots have cooked for about 3-4 minutes.
Step 4
Wash and rinse the kale. Tear the leaves off the thick stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Add the kale, cannellini beans, thyme, oregano, vegeta seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot.
Step 5
When the soup is done, stir in the juice of 1 lemon.