My Favorite Winter Soup
Vegetable soup that satisfies all 6 tastes
In ayurveda we learn that all possible food sources are packaged into six tastes. All six tastes should be eaten at every meal or we won’t feel satisfied. If you include the six tastes, you can be sure that all major food groups and nutrients are represented.
I’d like to share my vegetable soup recipe with you. I’ve been making this for years, but only just recently did the ‘six tastes test’ … and guess what … it passed!! So here are the ingredients listed by taste:
SWEET barley, onion
SOUR garlic, vinegar
SALTY celery, garlic, salt
PUNGENT bay leaves, ginger,
BITTER broccoli, tumeric
ASTRINGENT cauliflower, zucchini, all legumes
I’m sure you all know how to make vegetable soup, but I’ll share how I do it! For the legumes, I’ve been using a soup mix that has split peas and smaller legumes, otherwise it takes too long to cook. Also, you might want to soak them for awhile beforehand. To the boiling water I just start by adding the ‘longer cooking’ ingredients such as the onion, carrots, broccoli stems, celery, legumes, barley etc. along with the fresh ginger, garlic, a vegetable stock cube, and salt. When the legumes are getting close to being done I add the broccoli ‘florets’, cauliflower, (I like some crunch in my soup – that’s why I add these close to the end). I usually add the zucchini at the VERY end – doesn’t take long to cook it. I add the spices towards the end as well. For the apple cider vinegar enthusiasts you could add some just when you ladle the soup into your bowl.
For the non-lactose intolerant you could top it off with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!