Parsnip Soup w/ Spiced Pumpkin Seeds

Great news, followers! My blog is not dead. It was simply hibernating for a bit while I figured out some pretty monumental life decisions. I wasn't feeling as creative with my cooking (and time was limited), so I remade a ton of my old recipes to make things quicker and easier. In the midst of the craziness, I quit my job at McLagan and accepted a new position at PepsiCo! It is going to be a huge change, and I am thrilled to start this next chapter. I have this week off before I start to get things organized, so I am hoping to share some great new recipes with all of you.

I was feeling very jealous of Grace and my other Boston friends who visited the Sunday SOWA market today because the farmers market here in Stamford just doesn't even compare. I go and support them every week, but I am pretty convinced that a lot of the fruits and veggies are not local. There wasn't a parsnip to be found yesterday, so I went to the grocery store to pick some up so I could experiment with a new soup. I try to make a new soup every (or every other) week in the Fall/Winter to have ready-made meals handy. This recipe is incredibly flavorful with amazing fall tastes, and the spiced pumpkin seeds add the perfect crunch.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Parsnip Soup w/ Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: Serves 4-5, Prep time: 20 min, Cook time: 75 min

Ingredients:

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil

- 1 large sweet onion, chopped,

- 6 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 bunch green onions/scallions, chopped

- 1 bunch celery, chopped

- 1 XL carrot, peeled & chopped

- 3 XL parsnips, peeled & chopped

- 4 cups organic chicken or veggie stock (no sugar added!)

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1/2 cup raw organic pumpkin seeds

- 1 tsp. olive oil

- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp. paprika

- 1/2 tsp. cumin

Instructions:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat

2. Add onion, garlic, and scallions and saute about 10 minutes until fragrant

3. Add celery, carrots, and parsnips. Stir well to combine and cook another 5 minutes

4. Add stock and bring to a boil

5. Cover and reduce heat. Cook for 1 hour

6. Meanwhile, heat 1tsp. olive oil in a small pan over medium heat

7. Add pumpkin seeds and toss to combine

8. After 1-2 minutes, add cinnamon, paprika, and cumin

9. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant and then let cool

10. When soup is done, let cool slightly and blend with immersion blender or food processor

11. Season with salt and pepper to taste (I just added some pepper)

12. Serve piping hot with ~1Tbsp. of spiced pumpkin seeds on top! Happy Fall :)

  

  

  

Holiday Detox Soup

Happy Friday, and happy birthday to my brother Evan! Day 2 with the standing desk was mostly a success. I am definitely sore/tired from ungodly amounts of standing, but I am enjoying the benefits of my new workstation. I absolutely feel more alert standing, and I am constantly aware of my posture and my core. I expect to have superhero health status by the end of next year after 12+ months of paleo, crossfit, and standing while working.  

Today's recipe inspiration comes from my mom. We were talking about recipes, weight loss, and weird fad diets, and she asked me if I had ever heard about the Cabbage Soup diet. I had never heard about this, so I read up on the 7-day meal plan here http://www.cabbage-soup-diet.com/eating-plan/. I definitely have no interest in eating eight bananas with a gallon of milk one day and then 20 oz of beef with 6 tomatoes the next, but the recipe for the "magic" soup looked pretty good. I had never made soup with cabbage, so I figured I would give it a solid try. I tweaked a few things, made it paleo-friendly, and here we are. The soup tastes incredibly fresh and healthy, and it is a perfect addition to my paleo eating plan. I am not expecting to lose 10 pounds in 7 days from this soup, but I will be sure to let you know if it happens!

Ingredients:
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 6 green onions (scallions), chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp. garlic, chopped
- 2 green peppers, chopped
- 5 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 head of celery, chopped (about 6 stalks)
- 10 oz. of mushrooms, chopped
- 1 small head of cabbage, chopped
- Two 14.5 oz cans of organic diced tomatoes (no junk added)
- 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
- Black pepper (and any other herbs/spices you want)
- 8 cups organic, low sodium vegetable broth (or homemade stock if you have)

Instructions:
1. Make sure everything is chopped and prepped! Chopping this many veggies can take longer than you may expect, so it is much easier to make this soup if everything is ready to go.
2. Heat the olive oil in your biggest soup pot over medium heat.
3. Add onion, scallions, leek, and garlic. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft
4. Add peppers, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and cabbage. Cook another 10 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the broth, your cans of diced tomatoes, and the black pepper and any other spices or herbs.
6. Bring the soup to a boil and then cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours.
7. Forget about weight loss, and just enjoy the soup!

Note: This makes a LOT of soup. Be prepared.