Ayurveda Winter Soup – Recipe

May 11, 2017 | Uncategorized

Ayurveda Vegetable Soup

Each change of season gentle evokes different subtle qualities in the environment that can pacify or aggravate the inner lattice of our being. This is why some of us thrive and relish in the warmer weather and some of us loathe the heat.

Much like in Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda recognises the subtle invitation winter offers us, to redirect our energies inward. A time to rest, reflect and even hibernate, as we regenerate and rebuild our inner energy for the year ahead.

It’s also a time when we can find ourselves feeling weighed down, stagnant and uninspired due to this natural ‘inner retreating’. To stay on top of this, we can’t go past eating warm, nourishing light and easily digestible foods like the delicious vegetable soup recipe, outlined below.

Keeping the body active by maintaining regular non-strenuous exercise and regular warm oil massage will also help counteract lethargy keeping it at bay.

Gluten Free, Vegetarian // Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

2 medium sized carrots

2 tbs Ghee

½ Jap pumpkin

500g Spinach leaves

½ Sweet potato pealed

½ cup channa dhal (yellow lentils)

1 brown onion diced

Pinch hing/asafoetida (pick up from Asian/Indian supermarket)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 Organic vegetable stock cube

6 cups water

1 inch freshly ginger grated

Pinch sea salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ lemon

Small bunch of fresh coriander

METHOD

  • Soak lentils for a minimum 4 hours, over night is best to alleviate the ‘wind effect’ The longer they soak the faster they cook and the more you reduce the impact the proteins can have on the digestive tract. Once soaked, strain and rinse until the water runs clear.
  • Prep the carrot and sweet potato and pumpkin. Peel and cut into similar size pieces, keeping in mind how chunky you would like your soup to be at the end. The smaller the size of the vegetable the more likely they will breakdown and become puree.
  • Boil the 6 cups of water add the vege stock cube and stir until it dissolves.
  • In a separate pot, turn the heat up high, add the ghee then onion. Stir through the onion until lightly brown, add the cumin seeds and hing, followed by the lentils. Stir through for a few minutes until the lentils are covered in the spices, then add the water with vege stock and stir.
  • As the water begins to foam, skim off the top as much as possible before adding the vegetables. Removing this foam will reduce the ‘wind effect’ as well.
  • Add turmeric powder, fresh ginger, sea salt black pepper, and hing/asafoetida once all the foam has been skimmed off.
  • Add the pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrot.
  • Once the soup comes to boil, turn down to low heat and place the lid on.
  • Cook for 20min or until vegetables have ½ broken down into a puree.
  • Prep spinach leaves and add with the heat off. Place the lid back on for a few minutes for the leaves to
  • lightly cook before serving.
  • When serving, add a squeeze of lemon, some fresh coriander with salt to taste.

Enjoy!

A FEW TIPS ON LENTILS

When preparing lentils, there are 3 main things to do to reduce the ‘wind effect’

  1. These are all very important to assists with digestions and keep close company post meal.
  2. Soak lentils overnight and rinse thoroughly until the water runs clear.
  3. Skim off the foam that begins to develop on the surface of the water once the lentils are cooking
  4. Always use hing or asafotieda as it’s also known. A resin-like gum that comes from the dried sap extracted from the stem and roots of the perennial plant called Ferula assa-foetida. Asafoetida is sometimes referred to as ‘giant fennel’ although it’s not fennel at all. From the Ferula species, asafoetida is related to the carrot family. With a strong pungent flavor you, it can be used to enhance your dish, and you don’t need to use too much at all.
  5. Known to be one of the best calmatives and digestive stimulants used in Ayurveda medicine, hing/asafoetida assists in the relief of flatulence, bloating and abdominal discomfort i.e ‘the wind factor’ and should be used in every dish when cooking dhals, soups or stews with lentils, to assist with digestion. Hing is an absolute must when cooking with lentils. Add hing your spice cupboard and you won’t look back!!

Carla Simone Fraser

ABOUT CARLA

Carla Fraser is a certified Ayurveda Lifestyle Consultant and Yoga Teacher (350hrs) and Director of The Nourishment Garden, based in St Kilda Melbourne. Carla offers individual diet and lifestyle consultations, Ayurvedic Massage, Ayurveda cooking classes, and private Ayurveda informed yoga classes with a particular focus on women’s health and well being. For more recipes like this and information on Seasonal Ayurveda cooking classes,  details can be found here.