¼ cup water
1 onion
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
4 cups peeled and chopped butternut squash
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
4 cups vegetable broth
½ cup almond butter
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp braggs liquid aminos
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Pre-preparations include peeling and chopping the butternut squash, so it’s assumed that part is already completed. Place the water into a large pot. Add the onion and garlic and cook stirring frequently for about 2 minutes.

Add the squash, cumin and coriander. Cook stirring frequently for another 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients except the cilantro and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until squash is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure ingredients are well combined.

Puree in a blender, Vitamix or food processor. Add any additional water so that it’s at a consistency that you like. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

A common practice with any soup is to make a double batch of it and freeze the left over portions for another day.

Options:

I like this soup recipe quite spicy, so frequently add cayenne pepper, fresh ground black pepper and a very special Habanero oil garlic sauce I have access to here locally. Ginger would also add a nice kick in the colder fall and winter months. Experiment with your flavors. Turmeric would be a great addition to this recipe as well.

If you like, add 2 Tbsp of ground chia seeds before blending for additional fiber, nutrients and Omega 3 fat’s.

Rob’s Carrot Kale Cocktail with Chia seed

I have a drink I liked to call Rob’s Carrot Kale Cocktail which was basically just a special concoction I made up in a blender but it’s now morphed into this wonderful drink that also contains nut milk and chia seed. It’s still Rob’s Carrot Kale C,ocktail, but it’s version 2.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds – pre soaked
10 to 15 almonds – pre soaked
1 carrot
1 kale leaf
a little parsley
1 or 2 Tbsp Chia seeds (see note)
1 tsp Dark maple syrup or a little stevia

Preparation: Soak 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds and 10 to 15 almonds in water overnight to activate the seeds.

Make the nut milk:
Pour off the soak water and put sunflower seeds and almonds into blender cup.
Add a cup of distilled water.
Blend.

I prefer the Magic Bullet because of it’s unique blending format which forces the liquid down onto the blades. Blend for about a minute or two. Add another cup of water to thin it out a little more. I find that blending in less water allows all the seeds to hit the blades more effectively.

Add a Tablespoon or two of chia seeds, stir into nut milk and allow 5 minutes for the nut milk gel (chia gel) to set up.

Make the Carrot Kale Cocktail
While the nut milk gel is setting up, cut the carrot into small bits so it doesn’t break the blender. De-stem the Kale and cut leaves into small bits (about an inch or so, just so it blends a bit better)

Put the carrot parts into the nut milk. Blend again until carrots are fully mixed in.

Add Kale and parsley, Blend again.

Taste.

If required, go ahead and add a tsp of Dark maple syrup for flavor. Maple syrup is optional. I suggest dark maple syrup because it has more minerals in it. Stevia may also be used. Taste it first though, you might find you like it just the way it is.

Note: Chia seeds will really gel this up if you use too much. Play with the amount of seeds to the amount of water. You should be able to sip it, not have to spoon it out.

Fiber Content:
The nut milk itself will provide a few grams of fiber. So will the chia seeds, so I’d approximate the fiber in this to be at least 5 grams (or more).

Blended salads are a great way to add nutrient dense foods to your day, as a mid afternoon snack, a post workout supplement or added to a meal instead of other beverages. Kale is a nutrient powerhouse – one of the preferred dark leafy green vegetables. Carrots add important vitamin A while the chia seeds add so much to the mix and slow down the absorption of it all keeping you full. Chia also provides important Omega 3 fats. The nuts and seeds of course provide protein, fats, fiber and many minerals.