Blissful Bites (12 page)

This is a great soup to make in your pressure cooker. Split pea soup usually takes more than 30 minutes to make, but this one only takes 10 minutes!

2 teaspoons safflower oil

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon ginger, minced

Pinch sea salt

2 cups green split peas, picked over and rinsed

6 cups filtered water

2 tablespoons mild curry powder

1 cup light coconut milk

1 cup spinach

Tamari, to taste

Cilantro, for garnish

Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium flame. Sizzle the cumin and fennel for a few minutes. Stir in ginger and sea salt. Add split peas, water, and curry powder. Stir well.

Lock lid on pressure cooker and set to highest setting. Over high heat, bring to pressure. Lower heat enough to maintain high pressure and cook for six minutes. Let the pressure come down naturally. Remove lid. Stir in coconut milk and spinach, cooking over low heat. Add tamari to taste. Serve in bowls garnished with cilantro.

• Makes 6 to 8 servings

Lentils are a fiber-rich member of the legume family that are easy to cook in a variety of ways. Lentils are great for blood-sugar disorders because their high fiber content helps prevent blood sugar levels from rising too quickly.

1 tablespoon sesame oil

¹
⁄
₂
onion, diced (optional)

Pinch sea salt

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

1 tablespoon oregano

7 cups spring water

2 bay leaves

1 cup green lentils, washed and drained

1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons tamari

2 tablespoons miso, any variety

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

Season to taste

Heat oil in stockpot over a medium flame. Sauté onion with sea salt until translucent. Add carrot, celery, and oregano and sauté for a few minutes with lid on. Stir in water, bay leaves, lentils, and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce flame and simmer with lid until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add tamari and continue to simmer for three to five minutes. Remove bay leaves.

Turn off flame. In a small bowl or tea cup, dilute miso with a little cooking liquid . Stir miso and lemon juice into soup and let sit for five minutes. Taste to see if more sea salt is needed. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

• Makes 5 to 7 servings

Carrots are jam-packed with vitamin A and beta-carotene, making them excellent veggies for vision and protection against cancers. And since they are naturally sweet, carrots are great at regulating blood sugar. The oil is optional, so feel free to use water if you want to reduce the fat.

1 tablespoon coconut oil or
¹
⁄
₂
cup water

3 cups sliced carrots (about 4 medium carrots)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

4 cups filtered water, or more as needed

2 cups unsweetened almond or rice milk (soy milk can be used)

2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or maple syrup

2 tablespoons ginger juice*

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Pinch cayenne (optional)

Pinch black pepper

Sea salt, to taste

Fresh herbs, for garnish

Heat oil or
¹
⁄
₂
cup water in medium stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots and sauté for two minutes with lid on. Add spices and sauté for two more minutes. Stir in water and almond milk and bring to a boil. Simmer until carrots are soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender. Return to pot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except fresh herbs. Season to taste. Cook for five more minutes over low flame or until hot. Serve immediately garnished with fresh herbs.

to make ginger juice:

Grate a 1-inch piece of ginger with a Microplane zester or Japanese ceramic grater, then squeeze out the juice.
 

love your heart beet soup

• Makes 5 to 7 servings

If you thought you didn't like the earthy, rich flavor of beets, you must try this soup. Similar to Russian borscht, this creamy soup uses red lentils for extra protein with no saturated fat. This soup also uses umeboshi vinegar, which may be new to you, but these Japanese pickled plums have been used medicinally in Asia for centuries.