This article explores various detox soup recipes inspired by Eating Bird Food, focusing on their ingredients, preparation methods, and health benefits. These recipes are designed to be easy to make, packed with nutrients, and suitable for various dietary needs, including low FODMAP, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian options.
Introduction
Detox soups are a fantastic way to reset your body, especially when you crave a light yet nourishing meal. These soups are loaded with fresh vegetables and anti-inflammatory ingredients, making them a healthy and delicious option for any time of the year. Whether you're looking for a comforting meal during colder months or a refreshing reset during the summer, these recipes offer a versatile and customizable way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet.
Low FODMAP Detox Soup
This recipe is a hybrid adaptation of moqueca and summer squash chowder, emphasizing fresh, colorful plants that are easy to digest.
Ingredients
- Bell pepper
- Carrot
- Green scallions (for Low FODMAP)
- Zucchini
- Summer squash
- Paprika
- Turmeric
- Coconut cream (optional, can be substituted with almond or oat milk, or flavorful stock)
- Low FODMAP stock
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Olive oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add bell pepper, carrot, and green scallions (if using). Sauté for 7 to 10 minutes until starting to brown.
- Stir in zucchini, summer squash, paprika, and turmeric. Cook for 4 minutes until fragrant and starting to soften.
- Pour in coconut cream (if using), stock, and salt, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer rapidly over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the squash is fork tender but not too mushy.
- Remove from heat and stir in lime juice and half the cilantro.
- Puree half of the soup using an immersion blender or stand blender, leaving plenty of chunks for a chowder-like texture.
This soup is not only adaptable for low FODMAP diets but is also gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and vegetarian, making it a versatile option for various dietary needs.
Hearty Vegetable Soup
This vegetable soup recipe is packed with fresh vegetables and tons of flavor, making it a nutritious and satisfying meal.
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Ingredients
- Olive or avocado oil
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Vegetable broth
- Bay leaves
- Potatoes (red skinned or any)
- Zucchini
- Green beans
- Corn
- Lemon juice
- Fresh thyme and parsley for topping
Optional additions include chickpeas or white beans for protein.
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, add olive or avocado oil, then sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic with salt and pepper until tender and fragrant (about 10 minutes).
- Add Italian seasoning and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
- Add canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, bay leaves, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, and corn.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Remove from heat, remove the bay leaves, and stir in the lemon juice.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve warm with fresh thyme and parsley for topping.
Tips and Variations
- Broth: Use a mix of water and vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add or substitute vegetables based on what you have on hand.
- Protein: Add a 15-ounce can of chickpeas or white beans to the soup.
- Thickening: For a thicker consistency, mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water).
Storage
- In the fridge: Let the soup cool before placing in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- In the freezer: Once cool, place the soup in an airtight freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to one month.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Sauté the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic using the sauté function.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the lemon juice).
- Cook on high pressure for 5 minutes and let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before manually releasing the rest.
- Stir in the lemon juice and enjoy!
Anti-Inflammatory Detox Soup
This detox soup is packed with anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger, lemon, and cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- Onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Freshly grated ginger
- Freshly grated turmeric
- Cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and black pepper
- Chicken breasts (can be swapped for turkey breasts, white beans, or tofu/tempeh for a vegan version)
- Vegetable broth (low-sodium recommended)
- Coconut milk (full fat recommended for extra creaminess)
- Fresh lemon juice
- Tamari, coconut aminos, or soy sauce
- Fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 1 additional minute.
- Add the bell pepper, vegetable broth, coconut milk, and chicken to the pot. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and shred using two forks.
- Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until the greens have wilted.
- Place the shredded chicken back into the soup and add fresh cilantro, tamari, and lemon juice.
Variations and Substitutions
- Veggies: Customize the soup based on what you have in your kitchen. Cabbage or broccoli would be delicious additions. You can also swap out the curly kale with a sturdier green like swiss chard or lacinato kale.
- Vegan: To make this soup vegan, swap the chicken with 1-2 cans of chickpeas or white beans. Add the beans in when you would add the chicken. Tofu or tempeh would also be a good plant-based substitute.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a cilantro fan, parsley would be delicious as well!
- Ginger and Turmeric: If you can’t find fresh turmeric or ginger, use 2 teaspoons dried turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon dried ginger powder.
- Tamari: If you don’t have tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos on hand, feel free to skip it.
- Coconut Milk: If you don’t have coconut milk on hand, you can skip this or use unsweetened almond milk or cashew milk instead. If you skip the milk altogether, make sure to add more broth in its place!
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add oil to Instant Pot and put on sauté setting.
- Add onion, carrots, celery and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, salt and pepper. Sauté for 1 minute longer.
- Add bell pepper, vegetable broth, coconut milk and chicken into the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock lid and make sure the pressure release valve is closed. Press cancel on the pressure cooker and set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Once the timer reaches 0, the cooker will switch to keep warm. Carefully switch the pressure release valve to open to manually release the pressure.
- Once the steam is released, remove the lid and use a meat shredded or fork to shredded chicken. The chicken should be cooked through and will just fall apart without needed to remove it from the Instant Pot.
- Add kale, lemon juice, tamari and cilantro to Instant Pot while set to warm. Once kale has wilted a bit, portion soup into bowls. Serve with extra chopped cilantro on top and side of choice.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, salt, pepper, red bell pepper, chicken, vegetable broth, and coconut milk to slow cooker.
- Cook for 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. The chicken should be cooked through and will just fall apart.
- Once this happens, turn the slow cooker to warm and add kale, lemon juice, tamari, and cilantro to slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Once kale has wilted a bit, portion soup into bowls. Serve with extra chopped cilantro on top and side of choice.
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
This soup combines fresh veggies, orzo pasta, and shredded chicken in a lemony broth, offering a comforting and zesty twist.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Carrots
- Celery
- Garlic
- Chicken broth
- Bay leaves
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Salt and pepper
- Orzo pasta
- Chicken (cooked and shredded)
- Curly kale
- Parsley
- Lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 7 minutes until tender.
- Add garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and chicken. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove chicken from pot and shred using two forks.
- Return soup to a simmer, add orzo, cook for 8-10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent orzo from sticking.
- Add chicken back in along with kale, parsley, and lemon juice. Cook 3-5 more minutes until kale wilts.
- Remove bay leaves, season to taste, and add more liquid to reach desired consistency.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chicken: For a plant-based twist, swap out the chicken for chickpeas, white beans, or even tofu!
- Orzo: Looking for a gluten-free option? Try swapping the orzo with gluten-free pasta or rice.
- Chicken broth: If you’re going for a vegetarian version, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add everything except for the orzo, kale, parsley and lemon juice to slow cooker and cover with lid.
- Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Once chicken is cooked throughout, remove the chicken from the slow cooker to shred.
- Stir in orzo and kale, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes or until orzo has cooked and kale has wilted.
- Remove bay leaves and stir in shredded chicken, parsley and lemon juice. Season to taste and add additional broth if desired.
Storage
Allow the soup to cool slightly before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last 4-5 days in the fridge.
General Tips for Making Healthy Soups
- Take your time with the base: Sautéing the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until tender and fragrant is what builds the flavor foundation for the soup.
- Meal prep: Soup is amazing for meal prep because of how well it stores! Make one big batch and enjoy leftovers throughout the week. It tastes even better after sitting in the fridge for a day or two!
- Customization: Don't be afraid to experiment with different vegetables, herbs, and spices to create your own unique flavor combinations.
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