I give Dr. Fuhrman credit for inventing the vegetable and bean soup blended with vegetable juice. He calls it his Anti-Cancer Soup and posted the recipe here. I’ve made a few adjustments over time to this soup, but the general idea is still the same: veggies blended with beans with vegetable juice as the base. Last night, I had some cooked beans and two giant bunches of collard greens calling my name, so I made a big batch of the soup. I used beets, carrots, ginger and cucumbers to make the juice which gave it a unique reddish color.
I’ll post the recipe below, but I used three large bell peppers, one large onion, two bunches of collard greens, two cups of mushrooms, five cloves of garlic and two cups of beans.
After getting the vegetables all ready, it’s time to make the soup happen.
I ended up only using one of the cooked yams in the soup. I blended the juice with a quarter cup of sunflower seeds and a quarter cup of raw, unsalted cashews which makes the soup incredibly delicious and creamy. I ended up batch-blending the soup in the Vitamix which gives it a pureed, baby-food consistency. I have leftovers for at least two more meals which makes me happy because it is so good and it’s not even green in color!
Beet-Based Blended Soup – Makes 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
2 large bunches of greens, washed with stems removed
1 large onion, chopped into large pieces
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cooked yam or sweet potato, sliced (with skin on if organic)
3 large bell peppers, chopped into large pieces
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup each raw, unsalted sunflower seeds and cashews
2 cups of beans, drained and rinsed (I used cannellini)
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon no-salt added seasoning
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups of freshly-made vegetable juice (I used 5 beets, 5 carrots, 2 large cucumbers and 1 1″ piece of ginger)
Directions:
In a large pot, bring 1/4 cup of water to boil. Add onions and peppers and water-saute for a few minutes on medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until softened. Add garlic and greens and put the lid on the pot so greens can steam for a few minutes. In the meantime, blend vegetable juice with nuts and seeds in a high-speed blender until creamy. Add beans, cooked yam and spices to big pot and stir to combine. Pour blended juice over entire soup mixture and stir. Heat gently until lightly simmering. Then, use a high-speed blender to batch process the soup. Use care when blending hot soup. Serve hot.
One of my friends was complaining to me recently that Dr. Fuhrman’s plan takes too much time. I have to disagree with that statement because I find time-saving tips all the time when I’m cooking. For instance, yesterday I used a bag of already sliced mushrooms instead of going to the trouble of cleaning and slicing them like I usually do. Canned beans are a life-saver, too, when one is strapped for time (just make sure to buy the no-salt added version or drain and rinse them really well). I also have enough for leftovers with virtually every meal that I make so I’m never cooking two nights in a row.
Personally, I think saying that it takes too much time to consistently cook at home or to make healthy meals is an excuse. I’m not judging people who use this excuse, I’m just calling it out for what it is. We all have to make compromises and priorities in how we spend our time and I’ve decided that healthy cooking is one of my top priorities in life (others would be exercising, blogging (!), spending time with family and friends, taking care of my two cats and staying on top of my schoolwork).
Speaking of which, I got really excited when I was grocery shopping yesterday because I found some frozen greens options:
It’s the little things, right? What are your top priorities in life and how does healthy eating fit in? What are your strategies for when you run out of time and need a healthy meal? Mine would probably be heating up some canned beans and rice with some steamed veggies and avocado on top. Have a great Tuesday!
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Carrie!
Thanks for this post and recipe! Great idea! I love blended soups.
I see that you are blending the soup in batches in your VitaMix. I used to do that, too. Until I get an immersion blender (some call it a stick blender). They are so handy! You just put the stick-immersion blender device right in your big pot of soup and turn it on, and viola! It blends the soup right there in the pot. Thought I’d share, in case you hadn’t heard of these wonderful devices.
Thanks again. I love your blog. It’s one of two I read consistently.
Hi Angela! Thanks for the comment! I do have an immersion blender, but I find that sometimes when I try to blend greens using it, the strands get stuck in the blade. The Vitamix doesn’t have any trouble, though. I like the chunkier texture from using the immersion blender, but I don’t mind the baby food texture that the Vitamix makes, either.
Thanks for the sweet comment on my blog, I am so happy that you enjoy it.
Hi Carrie,
I find that I actually take less time to eat the Dr. Fuhrman way. I usually spend time on Sundays making 1 or 2 different soups. We’ll have some for dinner that night and then there’s plenty for the week for lunches and dinners. I’m fortunate that it’s just my husband and I, so I don’t have to cater to a lot of different mouths to feed, and that probably makes it a lot easier than someone who may have children. Still….I find if I do some bulk cooking on the weekend, it makes the week so much easier.
Hi Gina, I’m so happy to hear you say that! For me, it’s all about planning and, as you say, doing bulk cooking in advance. I’ve often wondered how much harder it would be to cook with children in the house, but I’d probably just make them eat the same, healthy food that I eat. Either that, or they would just have to starve (kidding, kind of).
My cats are lucky that I haven’t starting shoving green smoothies down their throats.
I have that same philosophy at home with my husband. He eats the Standard American Diet, so when I cook, I say ‘help yourself to whatever I’ve made’ and if he wants something else, then I say ‘knock yourself out, sweetie!’ It works for us.
The soup sounds delicious! How many mushrooms do you add? The list of ingredients doesn’t include mushrooms. Thanks!
Ahhhhh, thanks Carol, I forgot to include the mushrooms!!! I added about 2 cups chopped mushrooms.
Planning is key. I often find myself using the McDougall Quick and Easy Cookbook for work night dinners. The ingredient list is short and most take less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I try to incorporate one soup dish a week.
Thanks Paula, I will check out that book!
Your soup looks great!
I think once you get used to it it’s quicker but in the initial adjustment stage it can take longer to cook. It call comes down to how much you want it I guess.
When I’m exhausted after a long day I can always throw together a simple salad because I pre-chop or a soup using canned beans & frozen veg. The other no brainer for me is miso soup- all you have to do is chop some extra veggies into it and it’s a great meal.
I think we can all find time to eat healthy. The time we spend preparing and eating healthy food will, in the end, save us time from going to the Dr, being at home sick and dealing with debilitating ailments…all the result of eating an unhealthy diet. I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, but I know it all pays off when I am able to stay energized and free of illness!
On those days when I am running short on time, or just want to throw together a quick meal, I put together grain based salads. I always have some sort of grain in my fridge ( I usually make a big batch to eat for a few days) and always have a big batch of beans too. I use these as my base, then just pile on whatever veggies I have on hand…zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, artichoke hearts, radishes, corn, peas…the list can be endless. I top with either salsa or a simple mustard and citrus based dressing, and, voila…a simple, healthy and filling meal that can be assembled in no time at all!
Thanks for the awesome fast recipe idea, Shelby! I need to get in the habit of making simpler dressings, like the ones you mentioned. Brilliant!
I agree Carrie! Although in the evenings when I’m working away making dinner, and my daughter is playing by herself w/her dolls, and I start to feel guilty………… I tell myself that we spend almost all day together, we play and learn lots, and by taking an hour of my day to cook really healthy meals for myself and my family, is just as important as playing w/my daughter. Living healthy is just as beneficial for her future as having my full attention while playing is. You’re absolutely right, we all make what’s important to us a priority, and often there’s usually time involved in doing those things.
I’ve been wanting to say this for a while out loud. If people spent less time on their phones and computers, I bet they’d gain SO MANY added minutes to their day which would give them more than enough time to prepare a healthy, from scratch meal!
Hi Ginny! There was a study out a few months ago that talked about Americans watching on average something like two hours of tv per day. That leads me to believe as well that people have more time than they think to make healthy meals. I think it is probably a complicated issue that involves other things like culture, socioeconomics, habit and lack of education. I think you are doing an awesome job raising your daughter and giving her such a great start in life!
{ 4 trackbacks }