Cleansing Kale, Pea and Spinach Soup

To keep our metabolism strong in early Spring, we need to focus on lighter but nourishing foods that are both diuretic and warming in nature.

Kale is amazing for cooling high Pitta and Kapha dosha. It can aggravate Vata when raw, but if you strip it off the stalks and cook it in the soup, it will be fine. Kale is detoxifying and anti-inflammatory; The bitter guna helps flush out bile, which helps to release toxins from the body.

Spinach can be heating and drying in the digestive tract because of its oxalic acid content (which can provoke Pitta), but if you slightly cook it, it removes the acid. It’s an excellent bone tonic if used in this way. Again, be careful eating it raw if you have Vata/ Pitta type constitution or imbalance.

Peas are sweet and cooling and provide an important source of fibre and protein. There is some recent research showing that sweet peas are also a good source of omega-3s and ALA.

How to make it;

• 1 onion

• 2 cloves garlic

• A few stalks of kale (stripped)

• 1 cup of frozen peas

• A big handful of Spinach leaves

• Small bunch of parsley

• Handful of mint leaves

• 1 pint veg stock

• Coconut yoghurt to garnish

Fry the onion and garlic in coconut oil, then add hot stock.

Add the kale, cook until soft, then add spinach.

Cook for another couple of minutes.

Blend together with fresh parsley and mint and serve with coconut yoghurt and chopped mint.