It’s day 3 of the 5-Day Fall Cleanse, which means we are past the halfway point. I hope you have been following along with Sherrie and I are on Facebook  and Instagram pages (links below) where we are sharing every single thing we are eating. I actually wish I had it in my schedule to do this cleanse for longer, I am truly enjoying it. Since I don’t, that just means I will go forward eating more mindfully again, which is one of the main reasons I love a cleanse. It resets everything, it gets me back to being focused and aware, listing to my body and eating intuitively. It is the the best way for me, that I have found to stop bad habits in their tracks and get back to feeling my best.

My favorite thing about a cleanse in the cooler months, is being able to make a huge pot of soup to enjoy throughout the cleanse. It makes mealtime easy and stress-free. It guarantees that I always have something healthy to choose from and it keeps me from making any crazy decisions.

This particular soup is filled with the best of what is in season right now. If some of these ingredients aren’t available near you, improvise with what you do have. This soup was literally inspired by what we had left from our last CSA box (we get our next box later today) and what looked best at the market.

I went with Aduki beans for a protein, as they are far easier to digest than most other legumes and they are known to help the liver to detoxify. Just a quarter cup of azuki beans contains 100% of the recommended daily intake of molybdenum, a trace mineral that produces the enzyme sulfite oxidase which is crucial for liver detoxification. Azuki beans are one of the highest in protein and lowest in fat and they are loaded with soluble fiber. The high iron content also makes them a good choice for women’s health. In Japan, aduki bean soups are often consumed after menstruation to replenish red blood cells.

This soup is so comforting, so warming and really makes you feel good! I love the hint of flavor from the apple cider vinegar that I added at the end. You could also opt for lemon or lime juice instead. Feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand and enjoy. I had fresh oregano from the market and a huge rosemary bush in our yard. I feel like a broken record, since I literally say this on almost every recipe on my site, but please feel free to tweak this and make it your own.

[print_this]Fall Detox Soup – Gluten-free + Vegan
serves 8

**I do want to note, as I know many of you already know, I always try to select organic produce whenever possible. Even better if it is from a local farmer. When you are on a cleanse it more important than ever,  to be consuming organic fruits and vegetables and always be sure to properly clean them, as well. You want to be avoiding any and all unnecessary toxins both in your food and in your environment, during your detox. Rather than putting the word “organic” before each ingredient, just know you should be selecting organic whenever it possible for this soup.**

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, coconut oil or ghee
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, cleaned well and cut into half lengthwise then into thin slices
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1-2 pepper(s) of your choice, diced (I went with two Anaheim peppers)
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, scrubbed clean, peeled and chopped
• 3 or 4 small rutabagas, peeled and cut into medium dice
• 1 very small or 1/4 of a medium head of cabbage, core removed and sliced thinly (about 2 cups)
• 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed (you could also select Kobucha squash or pumpkin)
• 8-10 cups water
• Fresh herbs; rosemary and oregano, or whatever you have on hand
• 3 roma tomatoes, with seeds and skin, diced
• 2 cups cooked Aduki beans (aka adzuki or azuki beans)*
• 1 bunch of kale, stems remove and leaves roughly chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• Pink Himilayan sea salt, to taste
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• pinch of red pepper flakes, optional

* I used dried beans that I cooked beforehand. Feel free to used canned, I personally avoid canned foods while I am cleansing. Feel free to substitute mung beans, lentils or even pinto beans or kidney beans. Just be sure to soak any beans than need soaking, before cooking them.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in the onion, leek, celery, pepper(s) and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add in the carrots, rutabagas, cabbage, squash and any fresh herbs you are adding. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Stirring often.

Add the water, tomatoes and beans, take it up to a medium-high bring it to a light boil then drop the temperature down, cover and simmer the soup over a low heat for 30-45 minutes. The longer it simmers, the better and more intense the flavor will be. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add any additional herbs or spices you would like.

Just before serving add the kale and the apple cider vinegar. Stir well and serve. [/print_this] 

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Looking for even more cleanse-friendly soup? Head over to Sherrie’s site, With Food and Love, now and get the recipe for this comforting and cleanse-friendly Garlic + Fennel Minestrone. This is my kind of soup!! Make sure to follow along with us on our social media sites for more cleanse tips + details this week and for photos and recipes to the foods we’re eating. Hashtag #5dayfallcleanse if you share any photos, we’d love to see what you are eating!

TASTY YUMMIES

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