Category: soups

creamy mushroom soup (with my secret ingredient)

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I never was a fan of white mushroom soup, the taste was always a bit bland and a soup itself, without adding any other veggies that was giving some texture to it, was also quite watery. But when I started using beef bone broth as a base, all the soups started to be more rich and hearty. As on keto diet I couldn’t use any potatoes or other root veggies to thicken the soup, bone broth proved to be a great solution. Good and rich broth is essential for this soup as mushrooms contain a lot of water water and have mild flavour. And as for the aroma, I would like to reveal to you my secret ingredient that it gives extra flavour to this mushroom soup.

What is my secret ingredient?

I make wild mushroom powder, by grinding dried wild mushrooms (also called forest mushrooms) in a coffee grinder. I keep the powder in air tight container and add to soups, sauces and stews which requires a mushroom flavour. Forest mushrooms are very aromatic, so by adding a little bit of mushroom powder or even a couple wild mushrooms to a stew or sauce you’ll add a lot of extra flavour.

Common knowledge declares that mushrooms have a low nutritional value, but it turns out that they contain a lot of different nutrients necessary for the functioning of the body. Different kinds of mushrooms contains:

  • B vitamins – necessary for healthy nervous system, also helps to boost your energy levels,
  • Riboflavin – helps with the production of hormones,
  • Niacin – helps maintain healthy red blood cells,
  • Pantothenic acid – for healthy skin, proper digestion and strong nervous system,
  • Selenium – protects your cells from damage, also boost the immunity and fertility in men,
  • Copper – helps make red blood cells (they carry oxygen throughout your body), also helps keep bones and nerves healthy,
  • Potassium – keeps normal fluid and mineral balance, which helps control blood pressure,
  • Vitamin D – essential for healthy and strong body.

So even though this soup doesn’t look like it’s full of nutrients, we actually have a good supply of them especially with addition of rich and nutritious bone broth.

creamy mushroom soup (with my secret ingredient)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g white mushrooms
  • about 1l beef bone broth, chicken broth or veggie broth (depending of your dietary preferences)
  • 1 small brown onion
  • thick slice of butter
  • natural rock salt and coarse pepper to taste
  • dried or fresh parsley
  • double cream (or coconut for vegan option)
  • secret ingredient: 1-2 tsp wild mushroom powder
  • optionally: your favourite mustard to taste

DIRECTIONS

How to make wild mushroom powder?

Simply using a coffee grinder grind some dried wild mushrooms until you get powder consistency. Place it in airtight container and add to sauces, soups and stews to give them extra mushroom flavour.

Now it’s time to start the soup.

Depending of your liking, rinse white mushrooms thoroughly or peel them. I always peel the mushrooms, they don’t soak the water and it’s much easier to fry them. Slice them.

Heat a large frying pan adding slice of butter. Chop the onion and fry until golden, then add mushrooms and fry on a high heat until golden. Keep couple nicely fried slices for decoration, then transfer mushrooms and onion to a pot. Add 1-2 teaspoon of dried wild mushrooms, broth of your choice, salt and pepper to taste. Remember – more broth you add, more liquid your soup will be. In my case we like it a little bit more liquid, but if you like thicker cream add less broth. Start with adding enough broth to cover the mushrooms. Cook until soft (about 20 minutes) and blend the soup (it will be also easier to blend if your pot contains less liquid). If it’s too thick add more broth. When you get the thickness you like, check if it’s salty and peppery enough, add chopped or dried parsley (it adds a lot of flavour) and double cream. Also adjust the amount of double cream (or coconut cream) to your liking. I like quite a lot of cream in my soup.

If you want to spice up the flavour a little bit you can add a teaspoon or two of your favourite mustard.

If your soup is thick enough you can decorate it with couple slices of fried mushrooms. Then serve.

Enjoy!

Source of knowledge:

https://www.mushroomcouncil.com/nutrition-benefits/

lazy Saturday broccoli cream soup

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There are Winter days when the snow looks best when you look at it through the window on the sofa, under the blanket, with a mug of hot soup. This Saturday is one of these days, even though it’s quite sunny, when you hear the wind blowing outside the only thing you want is to grab yourself a blanket, fluffy pillow and wait until Spring comes. In combination with Saturday slack, only lazy broccoli cream can come out of it. You simply put everything in a pot, cook for a while it and blend. And suddenly after a portion of hot broccoli cream you seem to feel more vigorous, maybe enough to have a walk?

Use whole broccoli to make this soup. Stem are also edible (other edible parts of veggies that you usually put to bin), they contain quite a lot of fiber, so your soup will be more fulfilling. This recipe is keto friendly and adjustable. Using veggie broth you can make it vegetarian or vegan if you add coconut cream or coconut milk instead of double cream. As a base I used as usual beef bone broth, but if you like chicken broth it will be great as well. I wouldn’t recommend making this soup with just water, because it will be slightly tasteless and much less nutritious and fulfilling.

I added some turmeric for extra colour and anti inflammatory properties. I add turmeric to a lot of my soups, it’s warming up the taste and according to Traditional Chinese Medicine is beneficial if you have problems with: rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, gallstones or irregular menstruation. Although should be avoided during pregnancy. Turmeric stimulates our blood flow, boost circulation, if you feel freezing in the morning during these winter days, have a look at my turmeric latte winter blend recipe. I drink it almost every morning – it’s very warming and helps my body to “start working” even better than coffee 🙂

And this soup is as easy as it can be – just pop all the ingredients to a pot, cook, blend and add cream. Nothing more. Or if you’re less lazy you can make some croutons or top the cream with grated cheddar or parmesan for extra fat and flavour.

lazy Saturday broccoli cream soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 700g broccoli
  • 1½ – 2 l beef bone broth or chicken or veggie broth
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • double cream to taste (for vegan option use coconut cream or coconut milk)
  • natural rock salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preparations are as easy as they can be. Simply thoroughly rinse your broccoli. Cut in smaller pieces, keeping the stem – it’s edible and will give some more texture to your soup. Boil the broccoli in the broth until tender with the addition of turmeric, salt and pepper. Blend the soup until creamy and smooth. If necessary, add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with cream, topped with addition of you choice: croutons, grated cheddar or parmesan cheese.

antidepressant spicy pumpkin soup

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This is my last pumpkin recipe this Autumn before we step into Christmas preparations. Pumpkin soup is one of my favorite meal for for cold Autumn and Winter months. Smooth, nutty, spicy and very warming and fulfilling. Especially if you base it on bone broth, it gives extra thickness and richness to this soup.

Of course you can prepare it 100% vegan using veggie broth and coconut milk.

If you’re not vegan but don’t have coconut milk on hand, double or single cream will work great as well. Most of the times I use butternut squash to make this soup, in my opinion it’s the best. Sweet, nutty taste and beautiful orange flesh that gives this intensive in colour delicious soup. Hokkaido squash will be also great for soups if you have it available in your local shop. Also very sweet, nutty in beautiful strong orange colour flesh.

A 100g serving of butternut squash contains about 11.69g of carbohydrates, 2g of fiber, 1g of protein, and is a rich source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and vitamin E. It also contains moderate levels of magnesium and manganese. Butternut squash seeds have been refered for reducing social anxiety disorder and depression. According to researchers pumpkin seeds has a antidepressant compounds and have an antidepressant food score (AFS) of 47%. It’s linked to tryptophan (an essential amino acid) and 5-hydroxytryptophan (a tryptophan intermediate metabolite in the formation of the neurotransmitter serotonin), both being promoted as remedy for depression.

AFS is based on a nutrient profiling system devised to identify foods with the highest nutrient density of nutrients with clinical evidence to support their role in depressive disorders. Twelve Antidepressant Nutrients relate to the prevention and treatment of depressive disorders: Folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc. The highest scoring animal foods are: oysters and mussels, various seafoods, and organ meats. The highest scoring plant-based foods: leafy greens, lettuces, peppers, and cruciferous vegetables. If you’d like to see all the foods from AFS list click here, also I encourage you to read this interesting research about Antidepressant Nutrients.

As you can see this soup has plenty of benefits. It’s not only rich and warming, but also full of nutrients, healthy spices and if you add generous amount of pumpkin seeds, also works as antidepressant. What else would you expect from the soup? It’s also very easy and quick to prepare. You can use fresh squash, but also if you have a lot of pumpkin you can peel them, chop in smaller pieces and freeze. It will make the preparations even quicker – just grab some pumpkin pieces from the freezer and pop into the pot with hot broth.

antidepressant spicy pumpkin soup

INGREDIENTS (for about 1.5L of soup):

  • 1 large butternut squash (about 1.3-1.5kg)
  • about 1L homemade beef bone broth or veggie broth
  • 1 small brown onion
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • natural rock salt to taste
  • 2 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (or more if you like it very hot)
  • 250 ml coconut milk
  • slice of butter or a tbsp coconut oil
  • pumpkin seeds
  • some boiling water if the soup will be too thick

DIRECTIONS

First prepare butternut squash. Using a sharp knife or peeler, peel the skin. Cut squash in half and using a teaspoon scoop out the seeds. Then using a big knife chop your pumpkin in smaller pieces. Be careful with your fingers, squash is quite hard.

In about 2L pot, heat a slice of butter or a tablespoon of coconut oil. Finely chop brown onion and fry couple minutes until it get soften. Add chopped pumpkin, all spices, salt, garlic cloves and bone broth or veggie broth. Cover the pot with lid and boil until squash will be tender (for about 20 minutes, depending how big are your pumpkin pieces).

Using a blender blend the soup until smooth. Add coconut milk and if you feel like it’s too thick for you add little bit of boiling water. Season with salt to taste. Pour the soup into the bowls, sprinkle with additional chilli flakes and generous amount of pumpkin seeds. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Source of knowledge:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468227620303136

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6147775/

Mary Berry inspired – minestrone soup (regular, keto and vegan option)

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There is no one recipe for Italian minestrone, it’s a kind of soup – add whatever you have left in your fridge. The recipe I chose is from Mary Berry’s “Cookery Course”. Mary Berry is a famous in UK culinary book author, who was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her contribution to the culinary arts. Pretty good recommendation isn’t it?

Nevertheless, in our opinion, the soup requires additional seasoning. Oregano, basil, Provençal herbs, maybe a little tomato paste to enhance the slightly acidic tomato flavour. I like intensive tomato flavours. But if you don’t, chopped tomatoes will be enough for you. Also original recipe requires chicken broth, but traditionally I use beef bone broth, as a base for my every soup. So you can use any of these two.

For non diet option: use spaghetti, or other pasta you have at home.
For ketogenic option: skip pasta, flour and add some more veg (for example Brussels sprouts).
For vegan and vegetarian option: skip beef bone broth and use veggie broth instead, also for vegan instead of parmesan cheese use nutritional yeast.

Minestrone it’s a great option to use all the leftovers you have in your fridge or freezer. You can use all kind of vegetables (in brackets the amount of carbohydrates per 100g):

celery (1), carrots (7), parsnips (13), swede (3), turnip (6), celeriac (6), green beans (4), Brussel sprouts (5), leek (3), onion (8) and any kind of cabbage (3).

The soup is thick, fulfilling great as a warming winter breakfast or dinner if you work from home and you do not need a lot of calories. You can also use a slow cooker to make this soup, just pop the ingredients in, and after 3-4 hours you can enjoy this warming, colourful and thick soup (recipe for crock pot at the end).

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Mary Berry inspired – minestrone soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 brown onion
  • 1 medium carrot
  • couple celery sticks
  • 1 small leek
  • 1 tbsp plain flour (skip for keto option)
  • 1½ l beef bones broth (for vegan option use veggie broth)
  • 400g (1 can) chopped tomatoes
  • black pepper and natural rock salt to taste
  • a handful of spaghetti broken into small pieces (skip for keto option)
  • a handful of green beans, cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces (I used frozen ones)
  • a handful of chopped cabbage, e.g. savoy cabbage
  • a little parmesan to sprinkle on top (skip for vegan option, or add nutritional yeast)
  • optionally extra spices: oregano, basil or Provençal herbs
  • optionally: 2 tsp tomato paste for some more tomato flavour

DIRECTIONS

Dice onion, carrot and celery. Cut the green beans into smaller pieces, approx. 1 inch (2.5 cm). I used frozen one, if you have fresh, don’t forget to cut the ends and remove the tough fibres. Chop the cabbage quite finely.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Put onions, carrots, celery and leeks and fry them over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle the vegetables with flour and mix. Add the broth, canned tomatoes, salt and pepper. If you use fresh green beans, add them right now. Also if you like more intensive seasoning add some oregano, basil or Provençal herbs. Bring to the boil, and simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finally, add spaghetti, if you have frozen green beans add them right now, and finally chopped cabbage. Give it a good stir and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if needed, also you can add little bit of tomato paste for more intensive flavour.

Serve hot, sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.

DIRECTIONS FOR SLOW COOKER

Pop in all ingredients apart from flour and pasta. Cook on “low” for about 3 hours, and then add pasta for another hour. I would skip the flour completely in slow cooker option. Also after adding pasta, it’s good to give it a good stir couple times, so the pieces of pasta won’t stick together.

Enjoy!

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creamy cauliflower & cheddar soup

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Why I’m having coffee with my cauliflower and cheddar soup? I don’t know. It’s an old photo, but I think it was the time I bought this nice cup, and I just wanted to include it cause it’s pretty. But I like the photo, reminds me our old flat and these gloomy days I was spending in this kitchen testing Scottish food 🙂

Cauliflower and cheddar soup it’s a total classic, I guess everyone has own way to make it. But if you’ve never tried to make it by yourself, you can try this recipe.

I highly recommend using a homemade stock or broth to make this soup, because it will have a lot more flavour and will be much more nutritious, than if you make it using stock cubes or granules. You can make a giant pot of stock/broth, freeze it in smaller containers and use it as a base for the soups or sauces. It’s a great idea if you like more healthy, really nutritious soups, but you don’t have time to prepare the stock each time. For this soup you can use veggie, chicken or beef stock/broth – depending of your preferences, although beef broth is more intensive and may overwhelm the flavour a bit.

creamy cauliflower & cheddar soup 

NOTE: my measuring cup is regular 250ml glass

INGREDIENTS:

  • about 1 kg cauliflower (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 small onion
  • about 1 l of stock/broth (veggie, chicken, beef bone)
  • 1 cup grated mature (mature is the best) cheddar
  • good slice of butter
  • good pinch of lemon pepper (or coarse pepper)
  • natural rock salt to taste
  • bit of sesame oil for decoration
  • optionally: 2-3 tbsp spreadable cheddar
  • option no 2: sprinkle with chopped and fried streaky bacon

DIRECTIONS

Chop the onion, if you use fresh cauliflower rinse it divide in small pieces. In a medium size pot melt the butter and add chopped onion. Fry couple of minutes until it starts caramelizing and becomes golden-brown.

Then add your cauliflower and pour stock/broth. If you use unsalted broth or stock, add some salt in this step. If your stock/broth is already salty, wait until the end of cooking. Cover pot with lid and leave it to simmer until cauliflower will be cooked.

When cauliflower is ready blend it for a cream (be careful not to splash yourself with hot soup), and put the pot back on the heat. Add grated cheddar, lemon pepper, and bring to boil. Optionally you can add 2-3 tbsp of spreadable cheddar cheese to make the flavour even stronger.

Taste the best on the next day or at least couple hours later. But obviously you can eat it straight away, drizzled with a bit of sesame oil or sprinkled with pieces of crispy fried bacon.

Enjoy!

beef shin (shank) stew (or soup)

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It’s fairly warm, summer season is almost here, but here in Scotland we still have some days with wind blowing like crazy and temperatures that you wouldn’t like to see in summer time (like today – it shows 10ºC). On the days like this you might need something warming and cheering for dinner, and this beef shin stew or soup if you wish, is a perfect idea.

I like choosing beef shin meat for my stews, because it contains some gristle and connective tissue and it’s not as dry ans other beef meat. Beef shin when cooked long and slow the gristle will turn into jelly which gives it the wonderful rich beef flavour. It’s a great idea for slow cooker meal – I’ve added instructions at the end of the recipe. If you add keto appropriate veggies and you skip thickening the sauce with flour, you’ll get perfect keto soup.

Another good thing is that because of the long cooking time required (sometimes seen as undesirable) beef shin is quite cheap, so you can make rich, nutritious meal for reasonable price.

Beef shin is rich in Vitamin B12, B6, B3, Zinc, Phosphorus and Omega 3 ALA.

If you like meat but you’ve never tried beef shin stew, I highly recommend this. You can also try another great beef shin recipe on my blog.

beef shin stew

 

beef shin (shank) stew (or soup)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 kg beef shin (shank)
  • 400g mushrooms
  • 350g veggies (I’ve used leftovers of frozen mix of green beans, carrots, sweetcorn and garden peas)
  • 1 large brown onion
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • ¼ tsp coarse pepper
  • natural rock salt to taste
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1-2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp goose fat or other fat
  • optionally: 2-3 tsp flour to thicken the sauce

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot (I like using non stick pot – it’s great for stews) heat 1 tbsp of fat of your choice. Cut shin in small chunks and add to the pot. Fry for couple minutes on a high heat, stirring occasionally, until meat will get brown. Don’t skip this step – browning the meat will give a lot of flavour to the dish and colour to the sauce.

While the meat is browning, chop the onion and garlic. If you use other fresh veggies chop them as well. Rinse the mushrooms or peel the skin (I always peel the skin), slice in halfs or quarters, depending of the size.

When the meat is browned add onion, and slightly lower the heat, co it’s not going to burn. Fry with onion for another 3-4 minutes.

Next add all the spices: salt, coarse pepper, sweet paprika, bay leaves and garlic. Stir, so the spices covers all the chunks of meat. Now pour the water, not too much just to cover the meat. Cover pot with lid and simmer until the meat is tender – about 90 minutes – depending of the size of your chunks.

When meat is almost ready add mushrooms and veggies. I’ve used frozen veggies, so it took me only couple of minutes to cook them. but if you use other kind of veggies you will need to adjust the cooking time.

Last step is optional, depending of your diet and preferences. You can thicken the sauce with 2-3 tsp of flour (in a small cup mix the flour with a little bit of water, add 1-2 tsp of hot sauce from the pot to heat it slightly, then add to the pot and stir thoroughly) or leave it as it is. I recommend thickening the sauce if you want to serve it with mashed potatoes or dumplings. If you leave it as it is it will be kind of thick soup – great as keto option.

Serve hot with addition of your choice or as a thick soup. You can also freeze it for later.

DIRECTIONS FOR SLOW COOKER

Almost exactly the same as for regular cooking. I recommend not skipping the first step because it gives a lot of this great flavour. After adding all the spices, move the meat to a slow cooker, add water to cover the meat, and cook 7-8 hours on “low” or 5-6 hours on “high”. If you add small size frozen veggies add them in the last hour of cooking (but defrost them first!), if you want to add fresh veggies add them at the beginning of cooking or somewhere in the middle of cooking time. If you want to thicken the sauce, do it at the end.

beef stew

 

 

pearl barley & chicken meatballs soup

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Couple years ago in a small bookstore in my hometown, I came across a beautifully published book with soup recipes. Over three hundred pages, hard cover, beautiful photos. I’m not a crazy fan of soups, but the book caught my eye, it was so beautifully published and I wished it would become a part of my small cook book collection. It was also quite expensive, and of course I didn’t need it, so I sadly left it on the bookshelf.

Moving forward couple years later, on my holiday I decided to visit this bookstore again. In general I love bookstores, and I always have to restrain myself from going into the bookstores. Simply because I want to buy most of the books I find interesting. And because most of the books seems interesting for me, choosing which one to buy is always a struggle.

Anyway, surprisingly this soup-book was still there standing alone on the top shelf: “Soup of the day” Kate McMillan. Without thinking, I took it in my arms and run to the till. To be honest I still love to leaf through this book, read the recipes and look at the photos, but…I don’t think I’ve tried more than a couple of the recipes. By the way, I really need to go through it again, maybe I will find something inspiring. So, today’s recipe comes from this book.

It has a very gentle flavour. The lack of a very pronounced taste is somehow a definite plus for me in this case. The delicacy of the soup emphasizes the taste and character of pearl barley. Large firm beans, which, even after another heating, do not become mashy.

Of course if you’re on ketogenic diet, barley is a restricted food. But I think you could swap it with broccoli or cauliflower. It’s not going to be the same soup, but it’s some kind of inspiration.

It’s a great source of nutrients if you don’t have problem with eating grains. It’s also a good source of fiber, so can help with digestion problems. Barley can help to grow good bacteria in your gut.

100 grams of uncooked barley contains:

  • Calories: 354
  • Carbs: 73.5 grams
  • Fiber: 17.3 grams
  • Protein: 12.5 grams
  • Fat: 2.3 grams
  • Thiamine: 43% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI)
  • Riboflavin: 17% of the RDI
  • Niacin: 23% of the RDI
  • Vitamin B6: 16% of the RDI
  • Folate: 5% of the RDI
  • Iron: 20% of the RDI
  • Magnesium: 33% of the RDI
  • Phosphorus: 26% of the RDI
  • Potassium: 13% of the RDI
  • Zinc: 18% of the RDI
  • Copper: 25% of the RDI
  • Manganese: 97% of the RDI
  • Selenium: 54% of the RDI

On the other side, barley contains short-chain carbohydrates called fructans, which are a fermentable type of fiber. Fructans may cause gas and bloating in people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other digestive disorders. So if you notice any of this symptoms after eating barley, consider eliminating it from your diet. Everyone is different, so what’s great for one person might be harmful for other.

The best way is to observe your body, how it responds to certain foods. Sometimes excluding (or including) some foods from your diet, can make a huge difference.

pearl barley and chicken meatballs soup

 

pearl barley & chicken meatballs soup

INGREDIENTS for soup:

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3 small leeks
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 250g cremini mushrooms (or regular)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 60 ml white dry wine (I skipped this one)
  • 200g pearl barley
  • 2 l chicken broth or beef bones broth

INGREDIENTS for meatballs:

  • 2 chicken breasts (about 350g) or ready minced chicken
  • 60g grated parmigiano reggiano
  • 30g breadcrumbs (1 tsp coconut flour will do the job as well)
  • 2 tbsp fresh or dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Cut leeks lengthwise and rinse thoroughly to get rid of any remaining soil or sand. Then slice thinly. Chop garlic cloves or use a grinder. Slice mushrooms. In a big pot heat 1 tablespoon of butter, add leeks and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes on a small heat. Keep an eye on it, not to burn garlic, because it will get bitter.

Next add sliced mushrooms, and fry for another 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and wine if you like. Simmer for a moment and add pearl barley. Pour chicken or beef broth, cover with lid and simmer for about 45 minutes.

In the meantime prepare meatballs. If you use chicken breasts, mince them first. I used shredder which is a part of my blender (first I chopped breasts in smaller pieces). If you use already minced chicken, move forward.

Mix minced chicken with parmigiano reggiano, breadcrumbs (or coconut flour), chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Mix it all together using your hand until combine. If it’s sticky you can use a little bit of oil to grease your hand or some warm water. It will be easier to roll meatballs. With palm of your hands make ball size of the walnut.

Grease baking tray with some olive oil or coconut oil and place chicken meatballs. Bake for about 10-12 minutes in 190ºC.

Add baked meatballs to your soup and stir gently. If it’s too thick add more broth.

Add salt and pepper if needed and serve tossed with chopped parsley.

chicken meatballs soup

keto sauerkraut soup

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Today’s soup is not going to be everyone cup of tea, but we love it. As you probably know, on keto every fermented food is beneficial. Actually fermented food is always good, on any diet, but in keto it helps to grow good bacteria and heal the intestines. Sauerkraut and its juices, are made from naturally fermented cabbage. It’s very popular in the country I come from, and also very underrated from it’s health benefits. Sauerkraut juice is rich in natural lactic acid, which stops the growth of undesired intestinal bacteria and encourages the growth of good bacteria. You can read some more about sauerkraut juice we make, and other rules we follow, on this page.

Anyway, as I said this soup it’s not everyone cup if tea. Especially if you’re not used to fermented food. But we love it for its sour taste and warming properties.

You can find sauerkraut in Polish shops or in the most of the markets on a shelf with Polish food. Germans also make sauerkraut, but I’ve never tried any. Most of the times you can buy it in a glass jar, sometimes in a plastic bag. I prefer glass, it’s definitely more healthy, plastic from the bag goes in reaction with acid from the sauerkraut. You can also find two types of sauerkraut, one plain, one with carrot. I prefer the one with carrot, it adds some sweetness to taste, and it’s also great as a side salad.

To prepare this soup you’ll need to squeeze the excess juice. If you don’t the soup will be very sour, too sour even for me 🙂 So try it first, different brands makes slightly different sauerkraut so it’s always better to check. You can squeeze the excess juice or even rinse it under running water. Usually squeezing is enough. It also depends how sour you like it to be. We are used to this taste, so we like it quite sour. But if you make it for the first time, you might need to start with less sour taste. After making it a few times, you’ll find the best way for you and the best level of sourness.

Other very important thing is the base for the soup. I’ve used one part of beef bones broth (it’s quite condensed) and one part of ozonated water. If you don’t have beef broth, you can use pork ribs to make it. Pork ribs and sauerkraut goes great together. If you have a slow cooker, you use this recipe – directions below.

Sauerkraut soup is a great warmer. Especially if you add a good pinch of pepper. Addition of garlic makes it even more healthy. You can serve it any time of the day. If you feel cold in the morning or you struggle with cold hands and cold feet, this soup will warm you up for sure. Actually any warm soup eaten in the morning will help if you feel cold. According to Chinese theory of five flavours, respectively prepared soups with certain condiments, cooked for few hours have a giant energy power and strong healing properties. It also makes your jang higher – it means your heat and energy. So feel free to use slow cooker to make this soup.

 

keto sauerkraut soup

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 l beef bones broth
  • 1 l water
  • about 800 g sauerkraut (with or without carrot)
  • 200 g smoked sausage
  • 1 large brown onion
  • rock salt to taste
  • good pinch of coarse pepper
  • 3 leaf bay
  • 3-4 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp dried marjoram

DIRECTIONS

Start with chopping onion, slice sausage in quarters. Heat a large pot and put the sausage first. Let it fry for a while on a small heat, then add onions and bay leaves. Fry until onion starts going golden brown. In the meantime squeeze sauerkraut from excess juice and chopp it in smaller pieces. Add to the pot. Then add pepper, some salt and chopped garlic.

Pour your beef bones broth and water, stir and cook for about an hour. In about 20 minutes before the end add 1 tablespoon of dried marjoram for better digestion (add it always at the end of cooking, because it gets bitter when cooking to long). Check if it’s salty enough, add some more if you need. Serve hot any time of the day – especially if you feel cold – it’s very warming.

SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS

You can prepare this delicious soup using a nice big piece of pork rib. Cut it in smaller pieces, so it will be easier to tranfser to a plate. Sizzle the onion and sausage first and place it in the slow cooker, add ribs, squeezed and chopped sauerkraut and all the spices, apart from marjoram (add it in last hour of cooking, because they will get bitter when cooking for too long). Cook on “low” for 6-8 hours or about 4 hours on high.

Enjoy!