I’ve been eating a lot of blended foods over the past few months – things like smoothies, soups and purees.
At the same time, I’ve cut waaay back on raw foods and salads, unless they are blended into said smoothies or soups.
Why?
This little foray into an alternate way of eating has been in the interest of my own health issues, and also on the advice of my nutritionist.
Yes, I do work with a nutritionist.
The way I see it, it isn’t any different from working with a coach. In both cases, their job is to help keep you on track, and offer plenty of support along the way.
Just knowing you have someone on your side can make a huge difference to your success!
More specifically, I’m working with a functional nutritionist.
Functional Nutrition, by the way – along with Functional Medicine – is an emerging area of medicine that focuses on the individual as a whole, rather than viewing the separate parts.
In other words, rather than visit a number of different doctors who specialize in, and address, the different parts of your body as if they were entirely separate from each other, functional medicine recognizes that everything is intricately interconnected.
Add to this the fact that 70% of your immune system is in your gut, and you can see where this is headed.
That’s right, this newer approach to medicine places a huge emphasis on diet in particular, but also lifestyle and environmental concerns.
All of which is right up my alley.
And a functional nutritionist will address your diet and digestive concerns in depth – especially how these two key areas are related to everything else going on in your body.
Which brings me back to that soup.
I based this recipe on a wonderful Broccoli Soup in Gwyneth Paltrow’s new cookbook “It’s All Good” – but of course, I embellished it.
My creative inspiration came from my own recipe for Avocado and Cucumber Soup, which has been a favorite of mine for some time.
In short, I made the Broccoli Soup a bit creamier by adding avocado and coconut milk, along with a big handful of spinach.
You could, of course, enjoy a steaming bowl of this soup during the colder months of the year.
But for summer, what could be more refreshing – and nourishing – than a beautifully chilled soup on a hot summer’s day?
Your tummy will thank you.
Chilled Broccoli and Avocado Soup
So refreshing on a hot summer day!
3 cups chopped Broccoli florets
2 ½ cups water
½ Avocado, peeled and cut into chunks
¼ -½ cup Coconut Milk
½ tsp Sea Salt, or to taste
Large handful of Spinach
Place the broccoli florets & water in a pot, & bring to a boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the broccoli starts to lose it’s bright green color.
Let cool. Add to a blender – a Vita-Mix is ideal – and blend on High for about 30 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. Add the avocado, ¼ cup of the coconut milk & spinach.
The soup will be thick and a luscious green in color. For a thinner soup, add more coconut milk.
For a final flourish, try setting aside a little coconut milk to drizzle over each serving.
Makes 3-4 servings.
Enjoy!
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