Soup Recipes

Yellow Mung Dal Soup

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:00:12 +0000

Serves 6 Yellow mung is sweet and cooling, and mainly calms vata and pitta. It is very easy to digest and promotes strength.The seasonings here help to balance the drying, light and astringent qualities of this soup that could aggravate vata. Doshic Notes Vata = Pitta = Kapha =

Ingredients

1 cup yellow mung dal 6 cups water 4 Tbs safflower oil 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 pinch hing (asafetida) 2 large cloves garlic, chopped 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped 5 curry leaves, fresh or dried 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tsp masala powder 3/4 salt

Preparation

Wash the mung dal twice. Put the mung dal and 3 cups of the water into a soup pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Add the last 3 cups of the water and boil for another 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and beat with an eggbeater until smooth. Set aside. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until medium hot. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and hing. Stir until the seeds pop. Turn down the heat, add the garlic and brown lightly. Then put in the curry leaves, cilantro, turmeric and masala powder. Stir well and then add this mixture to the soup. Add salt. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve.

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Winter Vegetable Soup

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:59:28 +0000

from Ayurveda Today, Volume 24, Number 2, Winter 2011

Serves 4 – 6 This warm winter soup is packed with flavor and easy to make. You can peel the sweet potato and squash, if desired. However, many nutrients are just under the skin of vegetables and the skin on both of these should be tender enough to enjoy, once they are cooked. On the squash, you can peel away any bumps or knobby parts. There are several options for finishing the soup. The first way is just chunks of potato and squash, as prepared here. However, you can use a potato masher and coarsely mash up the chunks to a mushy consistency. You can also purée the soup in your blender for a smooth, creamy dish. Sprinkle with chives or chopped fresh cilantro and/or some of the red pepper, chopped finely, for a little color. Serve with chapatis, freshly browned corn tortillas, or toasted slices of whole grain bread with ghee. Doshic Notes Vata :: Pacifies/reduces the dosha Pitta :: Pacifies/reduces the dosha Kapha :: Can imbalance, use low-fat options on the mil

Ingredients

2 Tbs. olive oil 1 leek, sliced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 sweet onion, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped 2 Tbs. curry powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1 sweet dumpling squash (also called winter or carnival squash), de-seeded and cubed 1 sweet potato, cubed 4 to 5 curry leaves 1 cup milk, soy milk, or low-fat unsweetened coconut milk Black pepper, to taste

Preparation

Sauté the leek, garlic, onion, and bell pepper in the olive oil until the onion is translucent, 8 – 10 minutes. Stir in the sweet potato, squash, curry leaves, salt, and curry powder. Add water just to cover and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered 20 – 25 minutes until the squash is tender. Add the milk, stir, and heat to just below boiling. Then stir in fresh-ground black pepper to taste and serve.

Lisa Costlow is an experienced student and advocate of alternative health care and balanced living. A graduate of the Ayurvedic Studies Programs Level 1, 2, and Pune, she has also studied at AVP Hospital in Coimbatore, India. A long time employee of the Institute, Lisa now offers Ayurvedic consultations and therapies in Frenchtown, New Jersey. She can be reached at lc2hawks@aol.com

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Red Lentil Soup

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:55:35 +0000

from Ayurveda Today, Volume 8, Number 3, Winter 1995

Serves 4 – 6 Although this soup is tridoshic, the light and dry quality may stimulate vata, so vata should not eat it more than twice a week. The spice in this recipe make the lentils okay for pitta. Sautéing the garlic helps to get rid of its gas-producing qualities. Masala powder is available at most spice stores or make your own with the recipe in Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing by Usha and Vasant Lad. Medicinal Uses: A good food to take during flu and diarrhea. Red lentils are a good source of iron, so are a good blood builder and liver cleanser. Doshic Notes Vata – Pitta – Kapha –

Ingredients

1 cup red lentils 5 cups water 2 tsp. safflower oil 1 tsp. cumin seeds 1 tsp. black mustard seeds 1 pinchhing 2 largecloves garlic, chopped 5 curry leaves, fresh or dried 1 small handful cilantro leaves, chopped 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1 tsp. masala powder 1/2 tsp. salt

Preparation

Wash the beans twice and soak overnight in plenty of water. Drain. Add the beans and 4 cups of the water to a soup pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir beans occasionally to prevent sticking. Add 1 more cup of the water and continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender. Set aside. Heat the oil in a small pan or frying pan until medium hot, then add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and hing. In a moment, when the seeds pop, stir in the garlic and brown lightly. Add the curry leaves, cilantro, turmeric and masala powder. Mix quickly. Stir this spice mixture into the soup, then add the salt. Add some or all of the last cup of water, depending on the how thick you want the soup. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes and serve with rice and chapati or bread.

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Curried Cauliflower Soup Recipe

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:53:36 +0000

from Ayurveda Today, Volume 23, Number 2, Fall 2010

Fall is a wonderful time of year to transform any in-season vegetable, such as cauliflower, into a rich, hearty soup. Cauliflower is digestion-friendly to pitta and kapha and, by the warm, smooth, and unctuous qualities of this soup, it becomes equally welcoming to vata during its vulnerable season (now). Because of its form, cauliflower is said to be good for the brain. Other health properties of this heady vegetable include high amounts of vitamin C as well as anti-inflammatory and cancer-prevention substances. Doshic Notes Vata = Pitta = Kapha +

Ingredients

1 cup onion chopped 7 cups (approx.) cauliflower 1 1/2 cups (approx.) red skinned potatoes 2 tsp. coriander 1 tsp. fenugreek 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. turmeric 1 pinch hing 2 Tbs. ghee, sesame or olive oil 3/4 cup walnuts soaked overnight 5 cups water or vegetable stock 1 tsp. mineral salt Optional nori or other sea vegetable flakes

Preparation

Soak the walnuts, preferably overnight, in warm water with a pinch of salt. If not, just before use, blanch them with hot water and let them sit for 15 minutes. Drain the water and make a walnut “milk” by placing the walnuts and one cup of fresh water or stock in a blender. Blend well. Then, add a second cup of water and blend again until the milk is smooth. Dice the onion. Cut the thick stalk of the cauliflower as close to the florets as possible. Then, using your hands, gently break the florets into small, like-sized “trees” to ensure even cooking. Chop the stalk into small chunks. Leave the skin on the potatoes and cut them into cubes. In a soup pot, sauté the onion in the ghee or oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the spices and quickly stir for a minute, paying close attention that the spices don’t stick and burn. If the latter risks being the case, toss a bit of water in the pot. Now add the cauliflower florets, cauliflower stalk, potatoes, and salt. Stir well. Add just enough water or stock (approximately 3 cups) to almost cover the vegetables. Cover the pot and let simmer over medium heat. When the vegetables are tender but not mushy, remove two to three cups of vegetables with liquid and add to the walnut milk in the blender. Purée until smooth. Add the puréed veggies and walnut milk mixture back to the pot of vegetables. Stir well. Adjust the salt if necessary and serve immediately. For an added dose of trace minerals, vitamins, and nutrients, garnish the soup with a sprinkling of nori or other sea vegetable flakes.

Note: Allow yourself to be flexible with the ingredients. Should you not have all the individual spices readily available, opt for a curry powder or a dosha-balancing churna instead. If you don’t have walnuts on hand, substitute soaked and peeled almonds or hazelnuts. If nuts don’t agree with you, forgo them completely and you will still get a delicious soup. For a sweeter version of this soup, exchange the red-skinned potato for cubed winter squash, such as red kobucha, or sweet potato. This recipe works also very well with romanesco broccoli, the tasty, bright green, fractal-shaped variation of cauliflower. Kapha can omit the walnuts or replace with almonds to balance.

Michele Schulz’s love for Ayurveda began more than 15 years ago and infuses her offerings of nutrition, cooking, and yoga. From her adoptive home of France and internationally, Michele gives Ayurvedic nutrition and lifestyle consultations, as well as cooking and yoga workshops. Michele gives courses and consultations internationally and can be contacted at micheleschulz@gmail.com

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Ayurvedic Corn Soup

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 16:50:31 +0000

from Ayurveda Today, Volume 6, Number 4, Spring 1994

Corn soup is a good breakfast food. Corn Soup balances all three doshas, but its long term effect is drying for vata. So vata can eat occasionally and pitta in moderation. The cilantro helps remove some of the heat for pitta. Medicinal uses: This is a good food for people with high cholesterol or who are suffering from obesity as long as they cook it without the ghee. Doshic Notes Vata = Pitta = Kapha =

Ingredients

5 cobs fresh corn 5 cups water 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine 1 Tbs. heaping cilantro leaves, chopped 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs. ghee 1 tsp cumin seeds 1/4 tsp. black pepper 1 pinch salt

Preparation

Cut the corn off the washed cobs to make about 4 cups. Put the corn in a blender with 2 cups of the water and blend until creamy. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Now put the ginger, cilantro, and 1/4 cup water into the blender and liquefy for 1 minute. Heat a soup pot on medium heat and add the ghee and cumin seeds. When the seeds pop, add the blended spices, blended corn, and black pepper. Add the rest of the water and mix well. Boil gently until tender, about 15 ? 20 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally. Add salt just before serving. Garnish with cilantro leaves and black pepper to taste.

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Ayurvedic Carrot Soup Recipe

admin — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 16:30:40 +0000

Serves 4 – 6 Although this soup is tridoshic, carrots can be a little heating to pitta as can the ginger. The cooling qualites of the coconut milk mitigate the heating qualities of the carrots and ginger. The sweet flavors of the sugar and crystalized ginger also help reduce the heat. Doshic Notes Vata – Pitta – Kapha –

Ingredients

2 Tbs butter 2 lbs carrots, peeled and chopped 2 onions, chopped small 1 Tbs ginger, grated fine 2 tsp salt 1/4 cup ginger, crystallized 1 tsp sugar 4 cups water 1/2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup coconut milk, reduced fat 1 bunch cilantro, chopped Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat the butter in a large soup pot, preferably a heavy one, over medium heat until melted. Add the onions, salt, grated ginger, sugar, and crystallized ginger. Cook until the vegetables are softened, about 5-10 minutes. Add chopped carrots, water, and baking soda. Bring this to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to medium low, and cook until the carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, stir in the coconut milk and cook gently over medium low heat until the soup is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle individual servings with cilantro before serving. Serve with chapatis for a light lunch.

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