Ingredients:

For the broth: 1 lb organic soup bones (grass-fed beef or pasture-raised chicken), 1 onion,   1 carrot,  1 parsnip, 1 celeriac, dill, parsley

For the soup: 2 onions, 2-3 carrots, 2 parsnips, 4 celery sticks, 2 garlic cloves, 2 small red potatoes (or squash), 1 red bell pepper, 2 tomatoes, 1-2 limes or lemon, dill, parsley, salt, black pepper

For the meat dumplings: 1 lb. organic grass-fed ground beef or chicken, 1 onion, ½ cup rice (or quinoa), 1 egg, 1 tbsp almond flour, dill, salt, cayenne or black pepper

Note: Making your own broth is what Grandma would have done, and it’s more nutritious than the store-bought broth. But if you absolutely need to buy a soup broth, choose high-quality, organic, low sodium.

To make “Grandma’s” broth, use organic, grass-fed beef soup bones (or organic chicken). Cover them with cold water and add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Store it in the fridge for 2 hours (or overnight) to help release more beneficial minerals. After the 2 hours have passed (or the next day), add the roughly chopped vegetables: 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 parsnip, 1 celeriac. Add enough cold water to cover the bones and veggies, then add some salt, dill, and parsley for flavour. Simmer covered for minimum 2 hours (or pressure-cook), then let the broth cool. Note: A stainless steel pressure cooker is a great for making the broth, as it retains more vitamins, reduces cooking time to under an hour, and limits water evaporation.

To make “Grandma’s” Soup: Using a colander or a sieve, strain the broth into a large soup pot, add 1 or 2 litres of water, and set the heat to medium.

Sauté 2 finely chopped onions in a pan with 2 tbsps. of butter (or coconut oil) and 2 tbsps. of water. Keep the temperature low and the pan covered. Stir frequently and add more water as it evaporates. The onion will be translucent and softened after a few minutes. In the meantime, finely chop the carrots, parsnips, celery sticks, the red bell pepper, and the garlic, and add them to the pan. (A shredder can speed up the preparation.) Cook them for a few more minutes covered, stir frequently, and add more water if needed. When lightly softened, add them over the hot broth.

Peel the potatoes or the squash, cut in bite-sized cubes, and add them to the pot. Then chop and add the tomatoes, too.
If you happen to have some, a handful of chopped green beans, some broccoli or cauliflower florets can be added as well. Adjust for taste with salt and pepper.

To make the meatballs: Mix the ground meat with 1 finely chopped onion, 1 beaten egg, finely chopped dill, 1 tbsp. of flour, and ½ cup of rice or quinoa. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and make sure the soup is not boiling at this point, to prevent damaging the shape of the dumplings when you add them to the soup. Using 2 spoons, form small dumplings and drop them gently in the soup one by one.

After all the dumplings are added to the soup, increase the temperature to medium. Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring a couple of times.

Finely chop the dill and the parsley and squeeze the lime juice. Add them last to the soup and then turn off the heat.  Leave it covered with a lid for a couple of minutes, and then cool it down fast in the sink, immersed in cold water.

Refrigerate as soon as possible, and even freeze a few portions for later use.

Enjoy Grandma’s lovely and nutritious soup!

… And if you want the real, European, traditional experience, then you may want to add a teaspoon of sour cream in your bowl of soup before you eat it.

Note: To lower the soup’s starch content and lower its glycemic load, use squash or zucchini instead of potatoes, and quinoa instead of the rice for the meatballs.

The post Grandma’s Veggie Soup with Meat Dumplings (Ciorbă de perişoare) appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

Anda Bosnea, CNP, RNCP/ROHP

Making your own broth is what Grandma would have done. It is much more nutritious than the store-bought broth. It can be used as a base for any soup or stew, or for stir-frying veggies as it protects their vitamins and enzymes during cooking. Its health and nutritional benefits have been proven by both traditional usage and modern science.

It’s very important for the bones to be sourced from grass-fed, grass-finished and organic beef or chicken, or from wild fish, because their natural diets will translate into a high content of minerals like calcium and magnesium and many other nutrients. This high quality will result in an alkalizing broth with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting properties. It will improve digestion and intestinal healing and also support bone and joint health. It is even beneficial for hair, nails and skin.

Making bone broth is not only healthy, but also cost-effective and time-saving since it stores well and it can be frozen for later use.

A pressure cooker is the best choice for making the broth, as it extracts more nutrients, reduces cooking time to an hour or two, and eliminates water evaporation during boiling.

To make “Grandma’s” broth, use organic, grass-fed beef soup-bones. Cover them with cold water and add 2 or 3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Store in the fridge for a couple of hours (or overnight) to help release more of their structural minerals into the water.

When ready to start the cooking, add to the pot some roughly chopped vegetables: 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 parsnip, as well as 1 celeriac or celery root. You can also add leftover parts or stems from other veggies (like the broccoli and kale stems in these pictures), and a little salt.

Add enough cold water to cover the bones and veggies. Cook in a pressure cooker or simmer covered in a stock pot for a couple of hours or as long as you like, then let the broth cool. Using a colander or a sieve, strain the broth and use as a base for any soup or stew, or freeze in smaller containers for later use.

The post “Grandma’s” Bone Broth appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

One of our Holistic Nutritionists, Jessica Budgell, originally hails from the far away island of Newfoundland!  She has just returned from a visit there where she got to enjoy many of her favorite recipes traditional to the area.  She is sharing one with you today that is a great source of both protein and fiber.  Delicious and satisfying, you are guaranteed not to walk away hungry after a bowl of this Split Pea Soup with Doughboys.  Have you ever wondered where the term “doughboy” came from?  It certainly wasn’t from Pilsbury!  No, it’s actually a fishing reference; the balls of dough float in the soup like buoys floating in a harbor!  Our guess is that ‘doughbuoy’ got shortened to ‘doughboy’ over the years – creating a very different image!

8-10 servings

Split Pea Soup with Doughboys  (non-vegan recipe)

• 1 ham bone
• 8 cups water
• 2 cups yellow split peas
• 1 cup onions, chopped
• 1 cup turnip, diced
• 1 cup carrot, diced
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 2-3 potatoes, cut in large chunks
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Soup Instructions:

Soak split peas over night; rinse and drain.

Add 8 cups of cold water to ham bone in a large pot.  Bring to boil. Reduce to simmer for 1.5 hours.

Remove bone from pot and meat from bone.  Chop any large pieces of meat into bite-sized pieces and place back into the pot.

Add drained split peas and chopped onion.  Simmer gently for about 1 hour.  Add more water if desired.

Add other vegetables and cook until tender.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Doughbuoys Ingredients:

•  1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¾ cup water

Doughboys (optional):

Combine flour, baking powder and sea salt.  Gradually stir in enough liquid to form soft dough.

Drop mixture by tablespoon into hot soup; cover tightly and simmer, without removing the cover for 15 minutes.

Split Pea Soup with Doughboys  (vegan recipe)

• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/8 cupgrapeseed oil
• 2 cups carrots, diced
• 1 cup russet potatoes, diced
• 2 ¼ cups yellow split peas, rinsed
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1 ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, fresh ground

In large stockpot, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat.  Sauté onion, garlic, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper approximately 10-15 minutes or until onion are cooked through (will appear translucent).

Add carrots, potatoes, 1 ¼ cups split peas, and vegetable stock.
Bring to boil; then simmer for 30 minutes.

A foam will form; scrap this off as necessary.

After 30 minutes, add the remaining 1 cup of split peas. Simmer for another 30 minutes.
Peas should be soft and soup should be thick.  If too thick, add additional water or vegetable broth until desired consistency is reached.

Stir regularly to prevent peas from burning to the bottom of the pot.
Add additional sea salt and pepper to taste.

Follow doughboy recipe above if desired.

The post Split Pea Soup with Doughboys (vegan & non vegan options) appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

French Lentils with a Flair

Soup Ingredients:

2 cups of French lentils (rinsed and picked over)
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp of Nature’s Cargo sea salt
3-4 large heirloom tomatoes (roasted and hand crushed with a spatula)
2 cups of filtered water
3 cups of your favorite leafy greens (kale, collards, chards, cabbage)
3 bay leaves

Dill Yogurt Topping (optional):

1.5 tbsp fresh chopped dill
Pinch of Nature’s Cargo sea salt
½ cup of goat’s milk yogurt

Bringing it all together:

1) Boil 6 cups of water in a pot and add the lentils. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and put to the side.
2) Wash and de-vein your leafy greens of choice.
3) Prepare the yogurt topping by combining all ingredients. Set aside.
4) In a heavy, large, soup pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.
5) Add chopped onion and salt sautéing until tender (a few minutes).
6) Stir in prepared tomatoes, lentils, bay leaves and water, bringing to a simmer and cooking for an additional 5 minutes.
7) Stir in chopped greens and simmer for one minute.
8) Remove from heat.
9) Serve with a dollop of dill yogurt topping. Vegan? Drizzle with your favorite finishing oil – olive, truffle, or sesame.
10) Enjoy!

Switch it up:

– Make more of a stew (thicker consistency) by using less water and try serving over a bed of rice.
– Add other favorite vegetables: squash, sweet potato chunks, beet cubes.
– Spice it up with your favorites: cumin, paprika, crushed chilies, tumeric.

The post French Lentils with a Flair! appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

Peel all root vegetables and cut into smaller pieces to help them cook faster. In a large soup pot, boil water and bouillon cubes and add in beets, carrots and yams. Boil for a half hour or until they can be easily pierced with a fork. While the root vegetables are boiling, pan fry on medium heat with grapeseed or coconut oil your sliced onions and minced garlic until nicely browned.

Once everything is cooked place onions into the soup pot and then transfer from pot into blender/vitamix or food processor in sections as space permits. Blend until smoothed and then transfer into a large bowl. Serve warm

The post Root Vegetable Soup appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

4 large leeks

1 large onion

2-3 large broccolis

2 tbsp butter

2 potatoes (preferably red)

1 liter vegetable broth (or water)

sea salt (good quality, unprocessed, unbleached, unrefined)

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground coriander

chili pepper (whole or powder)

2 bay leaves (remember exactly how many leaves you’ll have to fish out later)

1 large bunch of kale (alternatively use swiss chard)

the juice from ½ lime

fresh dill or chives for decoration

Cut off and discard most of the green part of the leeks and coarsely chop the white parts, and the onion. Melt the butter in a large pot, and sauté the leek and onion, covered, at low heat. Add a little broth or water and stir when needed, to prevent browning. 

In the meantime, separate the florets from the broccoli stems and save them in a separate bowl, to be used later. Peel off and discard the hard outer layer of the broccoli stems, and chop them up, as well as the potatoes. Add to the pot, then pour in the broth, and season with sea salt, chili pepper, bay leaves, nutmeg, and coriander. The vegetables should be completely covered by the liquid. Cook covered over medium heat for about half an hour, until all veggies are soft.

While this is cooking, wash the kale, and then remove and discard the stems. When the veggies are cooked fish out the bay leaves and then add the lime juice, the broccoli florets and the kale to the pot, and cover to steam them for a few minutes.

Blend it all to a creamy consistency and decorate with a few snips of dill or chives.(serves 10)

The post Dairy-Free Creamed Broccoli, Leek and Kale Soup appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

2 TBSP coconut oil
2 lg onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ inch knob of ginger, minced
¼ tsp chili flakes (use if not sensitive to spice)
1 kg carrots (approximately 8 large), roughly chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or good quality
4 cups filtered water
3 bay leaves
½-1 tsp unprocessed sea salt
1 400ml can of coconut milk
2-3 TBSP lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped (optional)

Sauté onions in coconut oil in a soup pot on medium-low heat until softened. Add garlic, ginger and chili flakes (if using) and continue sautéing for another minute or two. Add carrots, stock, water, bay leaves and salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes with lid on until the carrots are tender. Remove bay leaves.

Puree soup either by using an immersible hand blender or in a blender in batches. When smooth add coconut milk and reheat but do not boil. Stir in lime juice. Adjust salt if needed. Serve garnished with cilantro or parsley. Serves 6.

The post Carrot Ginger Soup appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

1 cup of dried navy beans             
2 medium carrots chopped
5 cups of water                                                 
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1 large onion chopped  
1 can (8oz) tomato sauce
2 stalks of celery chopped
1/4 cup parsley
sea salt and pepper to taste    

Soak beans overnight in the water. In the morning, put beans on to boil. Meanwhile, saute onion, celery and carrot in coconut oil until golden, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to the beans with the tomato sauce, parsley and sea salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Makes about 4 servings.

The post Soupa Fasolia (Bean Soup) appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

This soup is really quick and easy to put together. It makes one serving but can easily be doubled or tripled. Nori is the paper-thin sheets of seaweed used to make sushi; it can be found in health food stores and some grocery stores. For more info on the health benefits of including seaweeds such as nori in your diet, see this month’s Health Tip titled “Iodine” as well the October 2003 Health Tip titled “Sea Vegetables.”

• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken broth
• half a sheet of nori, crumbled/torn into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cornstarch or arrowroot powder (see Notes)
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) Tamari soy sauce
• a few drops of sesame oil, to taste (see Notes)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 ml) minced fresh green onion or chives

Bring the chicken broth and nori to a boil in a small saucepan. Mix together the water and cornstarch or arrowroot powder until dissolved and then stir into the broth. While stirring the broth in one direction only, slowly add the egg whites, pouring them in a slow steady stream. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onion or chives. Season to taste with unprocessed sea salt if desired. Makes 1 serving.

Notes:

• Arrowroot powder can be substituted for cornstarch for those who have sensitivities to corn. It can be used as a thickener in soups, sauces, and gravies and is available in some health food stores and grocery stores.
• Too much sesame oil can overpower the taste of the soup, so use it sparingly.

The post Egg Drop Soup with Nori appeared first on Northshore Naturopathic Clinic.

• 1½  pounds (750 g) fresh asparagus
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter or coconut oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 medium Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• ¼ teaspoon (1 ml) unprocessed sea salt
• 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) fresh lemon juice or lemon wedges

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus stalks and discard (or save them to use in a vegetable broth). Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Optional: Cut the tips off of 12 of the asparagus to use as a garnish. Steam them for a few minutes, just until tender, just prior to serving the soup.

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, adding a small amount of water to prevent sticking, if necessary. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in the potato, asparagus, and broth; cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Transfer the soup to a blender and purée until smooth (be careful, it’ll be hot!). Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in the sea salt and the fresh lemon juice, to taste; alternatively, serve with lemon wedges and allow each person to add their own lemon juice, along with more sea salt, if desired. Garnish with steamed asparagus tips, if using. Makes approximately 5 cups/4 to 6 servings.

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