vegan cleansing detox soup

starting in the fall straight through to the winter, i feel like all we do is eat!  it all starts with halloween candy in october, followed by my dad's birthday and thanksgiving in november, followed by my mom's birthday and christmas in december, followed by new years eve/day, and then my birthday in the beginning of january.  it's an endless stream of gatherings involving food that yield a ton of left overs for four straight months.  don't get me wrong, i absolutely love it, but it certainly takes a toll on my waistline.

now that the holidays and my birthday are behind us, we are trying to get ourselves back on track and eat better.  say hello to this vegan cleansing detox soup!  perfect for this time of year especially.  this soup is cleansing because it is packed full of veggies, and it is free of oil.  a detox soup doesn't have to be boring.  oh no, it has tons of flavor!  this recipe will make enough for leftovers to last you all week long, and a bowl of this warm soup is ideal on a cold winter day.

vegan cleansing detox soup
prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time: 25 minutes
yields: 8 servings
adapted from the glowing fridge

ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 spanish onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 celery stalks, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 small head of broccoli, florets
1 cup kale, de-stemmed and chopped
1 cup napa cabbage, chopped
1 cup purple cabbage, chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced

directions:
in a large pot over medium heat, warm the water.  add the onion and garlic.  saute for 2 minutes, stirring  occasionally.  add the celery, carrots, tomatoes, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, and cayenne pepper.  stir and cook for 3 minutes (adding extra water as needed).  add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  add the broccoli, kale, cabbage, and lemon juice.  simmer for 5 minutes, until the broccoli and cabbage are tender.

enjoy!

love, laurie