Green soup is like a savoury smoothie: just as easy to throw together and a delicious way to pack a ton of raw greens into your diet. I often serve variations on this quick and easy soup as a first course in warmer months, and make them heartier in the winter with cooked veggies and hot water. I have them for lunch or as a mini meal. It’s also a perfect end to a periodic fast, swapping the lemon juice for a splash of raw apple cider vinegar.
The main ingredients are among the most alkaline foods you can consume, which help the body rebalance from an acidic condition, e.g. from being ill, inflammation from injury, too much drinking, meat eating, junk or processed foods. They are also dirt cheap, local superfoods. No need for exotic air miles in your health regimen.
Tarragon adds a subtle complexity and avocado creams it up nicely, which together make it reminiscent of a healthier Bearnaise sauce. Spinach, and of course the star of the show, cucumber, which is full of water and trace minerals supporting hydration, make it refreshing, hydrating and cooling.
RECIPE
Serves: 4 as an appetizer,
If serving less, enjoy leftovers within 48 hours, while the vitamins are still alive
Prep Time: 10 mins
INGREDIENTS
1 English cucumber, roughly chopped (seedier, thicker-skinned varieties should be peeled if your blender is not very strong)
⅕ of a small yellow onion, or the white part of 3 small green spring onions, chopped
2-3 sprigs of tarragon, leaves removed and chopped
1 handful of flat-leaf parsley
1 fat pinch of coarse sea salt
5 turns of fresh ground pepper
4 handfuls of spinach
350ml of water
1 lemon, halved
1 avocado
TOPPING
1 carrot, chopped into chunks the size of your pinky nail
25g of hulled hemp seeds, for a protein boost
1 sliced radish, optional for garnish
HOW TO
Layer the ingredients in the blender in the following order: chopped onions, cucumber, parsley and tarragon, avocado, spinach, lemon juice then the salt and pepper.
Pour the water on top of everything and blend until smooth.
Taste for seasoning and thickness and adjust as needed, adding a little water a time until you get the consistency you want. Garnish with the chopped carrots for a pop of color and something to dig for in the bowl.
Experiment with cold water or warm, and enjoy it either way.
Hacks: swap fresh onions for onion powder, and omit the flat leaf parsley if you don’t have it.
Bon appétit!