By Hayley Stobbs R.Ac, CNC
Seasonal interchanges are traditional times of purification for many cultures. Consuming soups and stews as daily meals during each season’s closure or birth can bring one to their centre during seasonal transitions, helping the body-mind adapt to the interconnected forces of earth’s transitional periods. Soups are easy to digest; their warming medicinal ingredients strengthens digestive power and boost the body’s immune system, offering protection from the specific external pathogens that each season presents.
CHANGE OF SEASON SOUP
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 lb chicken or turkey breast
OR 1/4 cup chana dal or mung beans + 2 tablespoons sweet brown rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, diced
1 ½ cups celery, fine diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup carrot, fine diced
¾ cup butternut squash, fine diced
¾ cup yellow beet or yellow summer squash, diced
3/4 cup shiitake mushroom, fine sliced
¾ cup fennel, diced
½ cup daikon radish
4 - 5 cups vegetable stock, bone broth, or water
1 – 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon fine grated ginger
2 - 3 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
½ bunch scallions, fine sliced
Large handful of fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped, to serve
Directions
1. Bake your chicken or turkey for approximately 25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Prepare the vegetables while the poultry is cooking. Afterwards, slice the breasts into cube-shaped pieces.
2. Melt oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, carrot, squash, and yellow beet or squash. Reduce heat to medium low and sauté for 10 – 15 minutes
3. Add the liquid, sea salt, grated ginger, dried oregano, and bring to a boil. Add shiitake mushrooms, reduce to medium-low heat, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Add the cooked chicken or turkey and simmer on medium low for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the apple cider vinegar, scallion, and fresh cilantro or parsley to serve.
If you’re interested in nutrition and acupuncture I’d be happy to guide you along. Please visit www.vcaspa.com to book online or call 250-590-4341. To learn more about my acupuncture practice, follow @hayley_stobbs on Instagram.
Wishing you love & vitality,
Hayley Stobbs R.Ac, CNC