I hope that the first week of 2016 has been filled with promise and inspiration!
My family and I enjoyed a peaceful start to the New Year – we tucked in long before midnight and slept soundly as the ball dropped!
Whether you stayed up all night and rang in 2016 with sparklers and champagne or stayed in and went to bed early, the first few weeks of the new year are a great time for reflection and renewal.
So, in that spirit, I wanted to share a delicious, renewing, and wonder-fuelled soup with you this week featuring watercress.
Watercress is a spicy green that is part of the cruciferous family and cruciferous vegetable are amazing agents for detoxification.
Modern science has identified more than 15 essential vitamins and minerals contained in watercress – it has more iron than spinach, more calcium than milk, and more vitamin C than oranges. And watercress contains potent phytonutrients like isothiocyanates and antioxidants with a plethora of disease-preventive properties.
So without further ado…
Ingredients (Serves 4):
- 4 ounces watercress
- 2 large cucumbers
- 2 avocados
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup plain whole milk kefir or unsweetened coconut yogurt
- 2 tablespoons almonds
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, lemon balm, or basil
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 pound cooked shrimp or shredded chicken
Directions:
Place the watercress, cucumber, avocados, chicken broth, kefir, almonds, garlic salt, and black pepper into a blender.
Blend until smooth. Mix the cherry tomatoes, herbs, vinegar and salt.
Divide into bowls and top with the tomato mixture and shrimp or chicken. Serve immediately.
Nutritional Stats Per Serving (2 ½ cups):
246 calories, 34 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 8 g sugars, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 89 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 343 mg sodium.
