“If a soup could do push-ups, this one would,” writes wellness author Rebecca Katz of the “Power Green Soup” found in her cookbook Clean Soups. Though the original recipe calls for Katz’s proprietary “Immune Broth” — comprised of kale, chard, leek, fennel, garlic and shiitake mushroom — you could just as easily swap it with a store-bought vegetable broth. “The challenge here was making a green soup that tasted delicious,” Katz writes of the recipe. “I think this one passes with flying colors.”
Power Green Soup
Makes Six Servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 yellow onion, chopped
Sea salt
1 large leek, white parts only, rinsed and chopped
1 Yukon gold or Yellow Finn potato, peeled and diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper
6 cups vegetable broth
1 bunch Swiss chard, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1 bunch dinosaur kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preparation:
1. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, then add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt and sauté until the onion is golden, about 10 minutes. Add the leek and potato and sauté for three minutes more. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir for another 30 seconds. Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the pot, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half. Add the chard, kale, and another 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine so the greens will wilt. Then add the remaining broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer for five minutes, or until the greens are just tender.
2. In a blender, puree the soup in batches until very smooth, each time adding the cooking liquid first and then the greens. Blend the parsley into the last batch. Pour the soup back into the pot, heat gently over medium-low heat, and stir in the lemon zest and juice. Taste; you may want to add a pinch more salt. Serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Buy the Book
This recipe has been adapted for convenience and clarity. The original appears in Clean Soups: Simple, Nourishing Recipes for Health and Vitality, published by Ten Speed Press. Buy Now: $15
