A Tasty Soup for Warming your Kidney Qi
Compiled by Stacey Hess and Lamia Gibson
Full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein; this soup will warm you up and start you off on the right foot for a healthy and warm winter season! This soup is gluten free,vegan, and acid friendly.
Ingredients
4 cups of butternut squash, peeled and cubed (or any other winter squash) 4 cups broccoli florets and stems, chopped (fresh or frozen) 2 cups cooked black beans 1/2 cup cooked azuki beans 2 shallots or 1/2 small onion, finely chopped 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp ground ginger
OPTIONAL: 1 tbsp chickpea tamari 1 quart water, broth or leftover bean cooking liquid 1-2 tbsp ghee, olive oils, sesame oil, or coconut oil
GARNISH: 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Prepare vegetables as directed. In a large soup pot, heat oil until hot, then add cumin seeds. Heat until fragrant, turn heat to medium-low and add scallions. Saute until tender, then add coriander and ginger, and stir. Add butternut and saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add liquid and cook until butternut is almost tender. Add cooked beans and broccoli, and simmer until all vegetables are tender. Add tamari if using and adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve hot, garnished with thinly sliced scallion. ENJOY!
HOW IT HELPS
Squash - warming, sweet flavour influences the spleen and stomach (promoting good digestion), improves Qi circulation. High in vitamin A
Broccoli - cooling (helps balance the soup), brightens the eyes, more vitamin C than citrus, enters the spleen, stomach and bladder channels (supporting digestion and purification)
Black beans - warming, beneficial to kidneys and reproductive function, builds yin fluids and blood. Used for low back ache, knee pain and infertility
Azuki or (adzuki) beans - neutral, influences the heart and small intestine (aids in circulations), tonifies the kidney-adrenal system, detoxifies the body, disperses stagnant blood, reduces swelling. Useful for damp conditions as it is drying
Onions - lowers blood pressure and cholesterol, decreases phlegm and inflammation of the nose and throat, inhibits allergic reactions, induces sweating and is a cure for the common cold
Cumin - warming, helps diminish flatulence in bean dishes
Coriander - warming, drying, useful for damp conditions. Aids the digestion of winter squash
Ginger - acrid and hot, warms the center and dispels cold, helps diminish flatulence in bean dishes. Dried ginger feeds the properties of foods and herbs to the lower extremities - the colon, kidneys, ovaries sexual organs and legs
Ghee - according to Ayurvedic medicine ghee (clarified butter) enhances the ojas, an essence that governs the tissues of the body and balances hormones. Ojas can be compared to the jing essence in Chinese medicine which is eternally connected with our kidney energy. Also promotes the healing of injuries and gastro-intestinal inflammations such as ulcers and colitis and increases "digestive fire"
Olive oil - enters the lung and stomach channel. Can help to moisten the lungs
Sesame oil - neutral, enters the live and kidney channels. Moistening
Coconut oil - warming, enters the spleen, stomach and large intestine channels, moistening
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