So perhaps you’ve been eating a lot of sugar and crap lately? Feeling a little drawn to green vegetables? I know that after a few days of vacation or a weekend of eating out I always want the greens! This Cleansing Green Vegetable Soup is here for you in those times of need, my friends.
So many good things are going on in this one, and the flavour is so unique. Lemony, bright, and totally reminding me of some of the delicious flavors we enjoyed on our honeymoon in Greece, where the lemon trees are everywhere and the food is so fresh and delicious. Ugh, when can I go back?!
I also wanted a soup that wasn’t just pure vegetables, leaving you starving in an hour and looking for some more substance. So I included Avocado to give you some healthy fats with some staying power (aka, keeping you full), and peas for a protein push. Not to mention, broccoli and spinach are both great sources of protein too!
So what makes this soup “cleansing” you might be wondering?! Well, for starters, all the veggies, but that’s pretty obvious. But the real cleansers are the lemon and the parsley.
Lemons literally clean the bloodstream and liver, help with digestion (eh hem, cleansing), and boost the immune system! They’ve been known to prevent cancer and heart disease, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduce inflammation! A little sassy, but with the goods to back it up.
Parsley eases digestion and is a natural diuretic, all while helping to detoxify the lungs, spleen, and kidneys. If you’ve got, or are prone to, bladder or kidney stones, parsley is your new BFF. It’s also best when consumed fresh so that’s why sprinkling it in at the end is best!
The other reason I love this soup, other than the fresh taste, is that it’s like eating a giant salad but in a warm bowl of goodness. There are just some days when salad won’t cut it, and soup is the saviour in times like these! Feel free to boost it up by adding some lentils, white beans, or cooked quinoa! If chicken is your thing, that would be great in here as well!
Enjoy! And let me know what you think in the comments below!
| Cleansing Green Vegetable Soup | | Print |
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or oil of choice
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 small head of broccoli (2 cups florets)
- 1 zucchini, diced (2 cups diced)
- Green cabbage (2 cups shredded)
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- 10 oz baby spinach or kale, roughly chopped
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Juice of one lemon, about 3 tablespoons
- 1 avocado
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the garlic doesn’t burn
- Add dried parsley, basil, pepper, and thyme, and stir for 1 minute
- Add broccoli, zucchini, cabbage celery, broth and bay leaves to the pot.
- Cover, bring to a low boil, and reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add peas, and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add baby spinach or kale. Stir to incorporate and cover pot with the lid to let wilt, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, add avocado, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of broth from the pot and blend until smooth.*
- Stir the avocado and lemon mixture into the broth until completely incorporated.
- Stir in the parsley.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve hot!
**If you’re not serving this right away, just do steps 1 - 5. When you’re ready to eat, re-heat the soup on the stove and then add the spinach or kale, parsley, and avocado/lemon mixture once hot.
It’s cooking now! Can’t wait…just what I was looking for. BIG THANK YOU!
Awesome!! Hope you like it! Easy way to get a ton of veggies in 🙂
Hello, please can you tell me if this soup may be frozen ?
Hi Ann! Thanks for stopping by the blog. Yes, I have frozen this soup and it turns out OK when defrosted in the fridge overnight. Some of the veggies are a little softer than when fresh, but still good to me!