Cashew Celery Root Soup with Leek & Lemon

Happy New Year!

We put so much pressure on ourselves to change in the new year — to diet, to fast, to cleanse, to detox — instead of embracing what is and truly nourishing ourselves, as is.

What we sometimes forget is that, for true transformation to take place, we must first accept what is in its current form, before embarking on the road of change.

“We can give ourselves permission and space to just be with the stillness of this body.”

In the kitchen, we can take it slowly and consistently.

Consciously plan our meals, carry out the cooking process, and prepare foods for ourselves on a consistent basis to truly heal, repair, and ask our bodies to return to the healthy place they would like to be.

To kickstart the year on a nourishing note together, we'll be going into a series of tips and recipes to reboot the system with foods that are easy on the gut and help us assimilate healing, revitalizing nutrients!

As many of you know, I'm not a fan of cleanses. Cleanses have an expiration date. Instead, I propose a lifestyle and diet that support an ongoing process of gentle and responsible detoxification and anti-inflammation, while stressing nutrient-dense components and simple, sustainable measures.

Today, we'll look at simple soups. Blended soups are simple to digest.

After the holidays, most of us have spent a number of weeks seriously taxing the system, which is why it's important to now allow the digestive system to rest.

Simply pureed soups is a gift we can give to our bodies.

I recently created a recipe for Cashew Celery Root Soup with Leek & Lemon. Celeriac is packed with antioxidants and vitamin K, and root vegetables such as these create a natural sweetness for the palate!

Enjoy this soup as is, or add pulled chicken, wild salmon or shrimp, or top with a fried egg. I also love it topped with toasted macadamia nuts.

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Cashew Celery Root Soup with Leek & Lemon

Ingredients

·       3 tablespoon cooking fat: coconut oil, ghee, avocado oil, or schmaltz (chicken fat)

·       2 leeks, white part sliced lengthwise in half, and sliced into 1/8” half moons & washed well (Reserve root and green section for stocks or bone broth additions in fridge or freezer.) 

·       1 large fennel bulb, root removed and the remainder sliced in ¼” slices

·       2 cups dry white wine

·       6 cups homemade beef bone broth

·       1 cup cashews, soaked in cold water for 1 to 4 hours

·       1 large bulb celery root, peeled, and chopped into 1” diced cubes (peeling discarded or rinsed and reserved for stock)

·       Zest of 1 lemon

·       2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

1.  In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, warm the cooking fat on medium-high heat and cook the leeks for 6 to 8 minutes until slightly translucent. 

2.  Add the fennel for 8 minutes more until vegetables are a browning on the edges slightly.

3. Add the wine to deglaze and reduce the liquid by half. Add the bone broth, drain the cashews, and add the drained cashews to the pot. 

4. Add the celery root, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sea salt. Increase temperature high until mixture comes to a boil, and reduce to medium-low.

5. Cook the soup until the celery root is soft, about 30 minutes. 

6. Taste for salt, and add salt and pepper to taste, if you like.

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Here are some suggestions for deep nourishment in 2020:

• Resolve to do your best in taking one moment at a time.

• Resolve to forgive the many pressures you continue to put on yourself that are unrealistic.

• Resolve to listen to the messages of your body as time unfolds, as best as you can.

• Resolve to simplify your health and balance by staying true to the basics of true nourishment: Movement, Food, Nature, Rest, Love, Creativity, and Inspiration.

How will you nourish yourself as you transition into the new year?