By Angela Warburton
Recipe adapted from The Full Helping
Don’t forget to carve out some time for yourself over this holiday season. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and the frenetic energy that abounds at this time of the year. But pushing yourself beyond your own personal limits or stretching yourself too thin serves no one, least of all yourself.
By simply taking a moment to stop, breathe, and check in, you arrive back in the present moment, present to yourself and how you’re actually doing and what you need. Sometimes it’s a simple as taking 10 minutes for a tea in a calm in quiet space. Or opting out of something that feels more like a “should do” than a “would love to do”.
This can be a magical time of the year with deep connections, the giving spirit flowing and joyful festivities all around, as we head to the darkest day of the year and start to welcome back the light. But it’s so important to check into your own inner compass and see what this season means for you. Is it simple connections with people and giving in time rather than in things? Is it more time in solitude or with a chosen few? For some, it’s a time of year that brings up challenging emotions and can be unpleasant and even irritating. Be sure to honour what you feel and think forward to create the time and space for yourself that you need this holiday season.
And, as best you can, try to eat well and stay hydrated. So simple, but this one simple thing can make an enormous difference in frazzled versus festive energy. Try the green soup listed below to keep you nourished on the go.
And throughout it all, try to remember the simple things that bring abundance and meaning to your life and give thanks. Whether it be a loving connection with a friend or family member, the joy from a beloved pet, or the privilege it is to have a warm home and food on the table. The fact we live in a safe country or have the rights and privileges we do such as freedom of choice or clean drinking water right out of the tap can be so easily brushed over. These basics are often the things that get lost in daily living and in particular in the hustle and bustle of the season.
So take care of yourself this festive season, take the extra time to nourish yourself in the deep way that your soul calls for and, whenever you can, take a deep breath in, a long breath out and arrive in the present moment.
You are enough.
With the warmest of season greetings and heartfelt wishes for a health, joyful, meaningful and love-filled new year!
Super Simple, Very Green Soup
Ingredients
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- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white or yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic mincd
- 3 teaspoons minced ginger to taste
- 2 medium yellow or yukon gold potatoes peeled and roughly chopped (about 3/4-1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 heaping cups broccoli stems or florets or chopped asparagus, chopped baby bok choy, or roughly chopped zucchini
- 4 cups tightly packed roughly chopped kale, Swiss chard, beet greens, or spinach
- 1 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk or 1/2 cup cashew cream
- Black pepper to taste
- For serving: white beans cooked rice, cooked quinoa, coconut bacon, toasted chickpeas, toasted pepitas, fresh herbs, etc.
Instructions
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Heat the olive oil in a large stock or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion. Saute onion for 5 minutes, or until it’s clear and soft. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute, or until the garlic is very fragrant.
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Add the potatoes, salt, and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the broccoli (or other vegetable). Simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the kale or other leafy greens, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the kale is bright green and wilted.
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Transfer the soup to a blender in batches to puree thoroughly, adding water as needed if the soup is too thick (remember that you’ll also add some soy or almond milk after blending). Return the soup to the pot and stir in the plant milk and black pepper to taste, as well as a pinch of salt if desired. Serve with toppings of choice.
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Soup will keep in an airtight container for up to three days and can be frozen for 2-3 weeks.