by: foolishsparrow Chunky Iron Soup

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This is a great little soup that I dreamed up one day (I'm sure someone else has thought of it, so I don't want to say "invented") for the cold winter months. It's perfect for a day off when you've got nothing to do but laundry and movies. It's got a huge dose of iron-containing vegetables, so it's great for that time of the month when ladies need more iron, or for anyone with anemia. Prep time is at least an hour and a half, maybe less if you're a master chef, but you're gonna want this baby to simmer awhile. I'm a vegetarian, so I created this meal without meat, but you can add beef or lamb to make it more iron-rich. This recipie is also vegan, if you substitute a dairy-free butter, such as Earth Balance (it's the BEST!). Enjoy!


DateCreated on : 31-12-2007

Ingredients ( 4-6, depending on your capacity for eating iron-rich foods )

  • 1 medium-sized beet, peeled and chopped
  • 1 medium-sized gold beet, peeled and chopped
  • 2 quarts of your favorite broth (I suggest a low-sodium vegetable broth, so you can add your own salt)
  • 2 small-to-medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 5 or 6 large-ish Cremini mushrooms, chopped (or more, if you like mushrooms!)
  • a bunch of Lacinato (or regular) kale, chopped (the grocery stores usually sell kale in bunches... I say, add as much kale as you want, but remember, it cooks down!)
  • a few cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon (or so) butter (or Earth Balance, to make it vegan)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Saute the garlic bits in the butter (or Earth Balance) in a big ol' soup pot.
  2. When the garlic browns, turn down the heat and add the root vegetables (carrots and beets).
  3. Add the broth, then bring everybody to a rolling boil!
  4. Now, reduce your heat and let it simmer for about an hour. Do your laundry, and watch a Die Hard movie.
  5. When the root vegetables get juuust soft enough for your liking, dump in the mushrooms and kale.
  6. Let that go for about 15-20 minutes, or just do a kale taste test and determine how squishy you want your kale.
  7. You're done! Enjoy this soup with crackers or cheesy bread and watch the last half hour of that Die Hard movie. And remember: soup just tastes better when it's in a big fat giant mug.