If you’ve been making mashed potatoes all month, (like we have,) it’s nice to have a follow-up recipe to use up all of those mashed potato left-overs (if there are any :).

I’m not sure where I acquired this recipe, but I have great gratitude for whoever wrote it down. This is the most healing soup you will ever encounter…(Take a seat, Chicken Noodle). The capsaicin in the chili power and curcumin in the turmeric are anti-viral and super anti-inflammatory.

You can make it as spicy as you like and it traditionally uses ghee rather than coconut oil, but I feel the monolaurin in the coconut oil is important in boosting the immune potency of this soup.

You may wonder why I have so many soup recipes… to me, soup is spleen food. When you’re recovering from an illness like EBV or a degenerative condition like hyperthyroidism, you need to feed your spleen to heal. Cooking the soup helps break down the nutrients so your body has less work to do, allowing your spleen to build blood for your body.

Makes about 8 cups.

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
3 cups mashed potatoes
4 cups spring water or veggie broth
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup spinach or chard leaves, chopped
1 -1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Dulse seaweed flakes to taste (red seaweeds help clean the body of heavy metals)
2 teaspoons Kosher and/or Sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions or chives
parsley

Directions

Melt oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
Add ginger, garlic, onion and carrots and stir-fry over medium to medium-high. Heat for 5 minutes.
Add turmeric, chili powder and masala. Stir-fry 1/2 minute longer.
Add potato and mix. Cook and stir 3 minutes. (If you like a smooth soup, add water or broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly with wire whisk to prevent lumps from forming.)
Stir and add spinach.
Mix well and bring to boil. Add vinegar, dulse, salt and pepper.
Simmer 5 minutes. If soup is too thick, add water.
Add green onions or parsely and mix well.
Let rest before serving.

Typically, I would make the Martha Stewart version of tomato soup (below), but my sister sent me one that’s a little easier (for the days when you need things to be easy…)

Melissa’s Easy Tomato Soup

1 - 28 oz can San Marzano peeled tomatoes

1 - 14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes

1/2 onion roughly chopped

4 tbsp butter (or olive oil)

1/2 - 2 cup vegetable broth, cream or vegan half and half

Salt to taste

Put into a cast iron pot on medium for an hour. Use an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches) until smooth. Add salt to taste. Finish with the vegetable broth or cream - add just enough to bring it to the consistency you like (if you like a less acidic soup, add cream).

So easy and delicious!

Another great tomato soup adapted from Martha Stewart’s Tomato Soup

Martha got it right with this soup recipe. Once you make this simple soup yourself, you’ll agree that buying tomato soup in a can is a shame. Plus you get the added benefit of adding as much (or little!) salt as you like, but if you’re making it for nostalgic reasons, you might as well add all two teaspoons. Let’s face it – some of us were raised on the canned stuff (and we love it!)

If you want to feel good about your salt, try Celtic Sea Salt or this amazing Norwegian Sea Salt from Salty Provisions - Double the magnesium, nearly triple the potassium over other brands. Hand harvested from the crisp, clean Norwegian Sea.

Try this soup with a delightfully simple gluten-free grilled “cheese”! Seen here with bread from Wheat’s End and vegan “cheese” from The Dill Pickle Food Co-Op.

New Development!

If you chill on the reheating of this soup, it makes a fantastic gazpacho. Top with some fresh basil and you're ready to go on a hot summer day!

Makes 6 cups

5 - 6 T coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
24 ounces jarred or canned plum tomatoes
3 cups veggie broth
1 - 2 t sea salt to taste
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 t nutritional yeast (optional)
dash turmeric (optional)

Melt oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic and turmeric, and cook (stirring) until onions have softened (about 15 minutes). Add tomatoes, veggie broth, salt, pepper and yeast, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft (10 to 20 minutes).

Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra broth to thin. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!