Food As Medicine

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Thai-Style Veggie Soup

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The flavors used in Thai cuisine are some of my favorite. Lemongrass, Thai lime leaves, cilantro, coconut! Basil (ah....too early for basil). So much flavor, so many flavonoids and anti-inflammatory activity. We are so blessed here in the Garden to have a greenhouse with a very happy Thai lime tree, generously providing us with this special flavor and the anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory and immune supporting (not to mention anti-cancer and cholesterol-regulating) effects. Lemongrass lives in the greenhouse, too, and is now sporting several nearly-harvestable stalks ripening in anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory flavonoids including quercetin and apigenin. Both of these phytochemicals have been shown to inhibit the inflammatory substances COVID-19 stimulates. Cilantro tops it off with detoxifying capacity to pull heavy metals out of our system, 

Ingredients:

Nourishing Vegetable Broth: 4 cups

Thai lime leaves: 5 or 6, either scored or crumpled up, releasing their fragrance

Lemongrass: 1/2 stalk, cut into 1 inch sections and crushed

Curry paste (I had Thai Kitchen's green curry paste on hand): 1 tbsp, to taste

Fish sauce: several shakes of the bottle, to taste

Turmeric root: 1 inch, sliced thinly

Coconut milk, 1 can

Sea salt, pinch to taste

Cilantro: generous amount as garnish

 

Heat the veggie broth in a saucepan. Add the curry paste and coconut milk, stirring to ensure the curry paste mixes well. Add the fish sauce. Add the lemongrass, lime leaves and turmeric root, and heat on medium heat (avoid boiling) for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust as needed. (Do you know friend and Food as Medicine maven Rebecca Katz's FASS method to perfecting yumminess? It is worth learning, and is well-described in her wonderful cookbooks.)

Finely chop kale and put it straight into your waiting bowl

Top with cilantro and enjoy!