Sumptuous Soups for Ramadan
Soups are potentially the healthiest part of Iftar. If you break your fast with easy-to-digest soups, you fill up on nutrient-dense foods; avoid overeating and end up with much less digestive upset.
Here are a few favorites–enjoy!
Simple Veggie Broth
This is the base for all of these soups. Always make homemade vegetable (or bone if you prefer) broth to avoid any added chemicals and additives so common to commercial stock and cubes.
1 large onion, cut into large chunks
2 sticks celery, cut loosely
1 large carrot, cut into large chunks
1 bay leaf
8 garlic cloves
2 liters water
Fresh parsley, chopped loosely
Fresh thyme, chopped loosely
Fresh rosemary, chopped loosely
Salt
Place all ingredients together in a large pot on medium high heat. Once the water boils, bring down the heat to a simmer. Cover and leave to simmer up to 2 hours.
Once complete, strain out the vegetables and leave the broth to cool. May be stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator up to one week and in the freezer up to one month. Recipe may be doubled, tripled or quadrupled depending on needs.
Creamy Carrot Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, chopped
2 inches ginger root, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups vegetable or bone broth
1 apple, cubed
½ lb/1/4kg carrots, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper
In a large pot over medium heat add olive oil and sauté onion until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and sauté another minute until fragrant.
Add broth, carrots and apple and cook for 20-30 minutes. Place soup into a high speed blender and blend until smooth or keep as a chunky soup.
Cream of Spinach Soup
Serves 2
2 cups spinach
1 avocado
5 leaves basil
1⁄4 medium onion, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
1 small clove garlic
3⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth and warm (about 3 minutes), and then serve.
Sweet Potato and Onion Soup
Serves 2-3
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups broth
2 large oranges, juiced
1 carrot, chopped
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add oil followed by sliced onion and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes until fragrant. Add broth, orange juice, carrot, sweet potato, parsley, salt and pepper. Cover pot and let simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes are soft.
Remove from heat and place mixture in blender. Remove the vent to allow steam to escape. Cover the hole in the top with a clean towel and blend until smooth and serve.
Lemon Cumin Zucchini Soup
8 cups vegetable broth
2 large onions, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
2 large zucchini, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced (or 2 teaspoons garlic powder)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Add vegetable broth, onions, carrots, zucchini, celery, garlic, cumin, paprika, salt, and cayenne pepper (optional), to a large soup pot. Turn on medium high, and cook for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Taste for salt. Add all to a blender or consume chunky.
Serve the soup in bowls. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and parsley before eating.
For more recipes for Sohour, Iftar and desserts as well as hydration and SOS tips..make sure you download your FREE Ramadan Guide here: http://danadinnawi.com/ramadan-guide/…
Dana Dinnawi is an Integrative Nutrition health coach specializing in empowering women to improve their health and family life. She received her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where she studied more than one hundred dietary theories and a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. She can be reached through her website and Facebook page.
