For fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum recovery there is one meal that I almost always recommend to my clients: SOUP! That is, soup made with traditional bone broth or stock. Broth and stock are deeply nourishing, easy to digest, provide a long list of important nutrients for childbearing women, and are the perfect vehicle for delivering a variety of delicious and health-promoting ingredients in the form of SOUP. One of these days I'll post my recipe for homemade bone broth and stock, but in the meantime, click here for a recipe.
This Broccoli Stalk Soup was born out of my desire to keep my broccoli stalks out of the compost! I was finding that my family was happy to eat broccoli florets, but the stalks were getting discarded all too often. This is a really simple soup and quick to throw together, but so flavourful and delicious. If you don't enjoy eating broccoli, this soup is a fantastic way to "hide" it and get all the benefits of broccoli, which include compounds that break down and eliminate excess estrogen.
Creamy (dairy-free) Broccoli Stalk Soup
Ingredients:
Leftover broccoli stalks (I use about 2 cups worth), trimmed and chopped - some stalks have a tough outer layer which may need to be trimmed off
1 onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves (or to your taste)
1 cup (approximately) potato, chopped (I have also used cauliflower when I didn't have any potatoes)
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Unrefined salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (I use about 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper)
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Approximately 1 quart/32 oz. of chicken or beef broth or stock
Extra virgin olive oil (for garnish)
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 375F while you chop the vegetables.
Place everything except the coconut oil, balsamic vinegar and broth in a roasting pan and toss to combine. Then dollop the coconut oil on top. Place in oven for 5 minutes, until the coconut oil melts. Remove from oven, mix in the coconut oil, then put back in the oven to roast for about 30-45 minutes, until everything is soft and starting to brown.
Allow veggies to cool slightly before placing them in a blender along with the broth and balsamic vinegar. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Place in a pot on the stove over medium heat and warm through, stirring often. Taste. Add more salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar if needed.
Serve with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil in each bowl, because most women need to get MORE healthy fats into their diets ;)
Enjoy!
