LEMONGRASS, GINGER AND COCONUT ZOODLE SOUP

It hasn’t fully hit me yet that it is 2018. This is the year that I turn 30 and all my life 30 seemed like this far away land that was so very much off in the distance future.

Growing up, I felt like I was sold this dream or idea about what life was supposed to look like at this age. I would have this fabulous career, a handsome af husband, a fancy home and probably a kid or two. That life seems very much off in the distance future too.

And although my life does not resemble the above I am still A-ok to be turning the big three-oh. Getting older doesn’t occur like a bad thing to me even though our society idolizes the youth, or at least looking youthful.

Luckily my daily vitamin-C drink and leafy greens at every meal has helped in that department but being young was challenging, you know what I mean?

The insecurity, the self-doubt, feeling uncomfortable in my skin. That eating disorder thing. Ugh.

Don’t get me wrong, all that stuff aside I LOVED my twenties and my whole life, really. Sure it had its challenges but thats life and there really was magic in it all. My experiences, good and bad, shaped me in to the human I am today and for that I am very grateful.

I feel like a beautiful, resourceful, full of life MF woman who is living life on her terms and that is pretty cool. The journey here wasn’t without falls and bruises but it was worth it and there is no looking back at this point.

But what does this rant about being 30 have to do with this soup?

Nothing except that I made it to comply with the Whole 30 challenge and #Wu30 collective on Instagram. So yeah that’s it, they have the number in common. I guess the fact that I am reaching a new decade is on my mind a lot lately.

For those unfamiliar, Whole 30 is an elimination diet, but fuck do I hate the word diet. It’s a 30 day program that eliminates all triggering foods. Foods that contribute to inflammation, autoimmune disorders, chronic illness, weight gain, brain fog and so on.

Although I feel really amazing in my body I have always wanted to experience what it would feel like to eliminate grains, soy and legumes. These do not appear to be problematic for me, I feel really good almost every day, but so many health experts I respect, like Dave Asprey, Dr. Gundry and Dr. Perlmutter have mountains of scientific data that point to them being problematic for some and arguably all humans. So although I think that I feel amazing, could I feel better? It’s possible.

When I was in my early teens and twenties I generally always felt awful, i.e. headaches, bloated, low energy, pain in my joints but I was so used to feeling awful that it was normal. That’s just how I felt every day and I didn’t know the difference until I started experimenting with food.

This is a lot of what my upcoming book Body Wisdom is about and how you can discover how to feel incredible too.

So although my current normal is pretty freaking great, is there another level that I am just not present or aware of yet?

I guess we will see in the next 30 days.

I feel its important to mention since I talk so much about food freedom and eating disorders that I am not trying to lose weight and I am not restricting calories at all. This is my experimenting, Bio-Hacking, as they call it, with the connection between what I eat and how I feel.

So this soup! I made it to comply with the guidelines of Whole 30. Woot Woot!

The recipe has an optional ingredient that makes it not Whole 30 compliant but does make it taste better in my opinion. Feel free to use it if you like.

I hope you enjoy it. Virtual group hug.

Xo, C

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4-6, 15 min prep, 35 min cook

FOR THE BROTH:

8 cups water

4 cups vegetable broth

6-8 2-inch long lemongrass stalks

12 slices of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into thin quaters

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 shallot, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, shredded or diced

1 tbsp crushed red pepper

2 limes juiced

3 tsp salt, to taste

1 15-oz can of full fat coconut cream

1-2 tbsp coconut aminos

Optional Add In:

2 tbsp coconut sugar

FOR THE SOUP:

5 cups crimini mushrooms, cut in half

2 radishes, sliced and cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 cup green onions

4 zucchini spiralized into noodles

GARNISH:

cilantro, green onion, red pepper, lime

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a large pot of the water and vegetable broth to a boil. Meanwhile prep all your ingredients as stated above.

Bruise the lemongrass stalks by pushing on them with the flat side of a knife. be careful not to cut yourself.

Once the water is boiling add in the lemongrass, ginger, garlic, Let boil for 10 minutes.

Then add in the shallot, carrots, red pepper and lime juice and toss in the whole rind into the soup. Add in the salt and lower to a simmer.

At this point taste the broth and see how it is coming along. Does it need more lime juice, more red pepper, more salt? Adjust it.

Then add in the coconut cream 1/4 cup at a time and taste as you go. I ended up adding in the whole can but I reccommend going slow and adjusting it to your taste. Then add in the coconut aminos.

Using a spoon, get out the lime rinds before adding in the other ingredients. Toss those in the trash or compost.

If you are not following whole 30 consider adding coconut sugar if you desire to give it an extra kick of sweetness. Not necessary but oh soooo good.

Let the broth simmer for another 5 or so minutes to develope in flavor. Then add in the mushrooms, radish, cilantro and green onion. You dont want to over cook the veggies so once they are soft enough to eat, about 3-5 minutes, turn off the soup.

Spiralize your zoodles and divide amongst bowls. Ladle the soup and lots of broth over the zoodles.

Garnish if desired and dig in.

Store the zoodles in a different container from the soup if there is some left over. Otherwise they get to thin and soggy and are not as enjoyable to eat in my opinion.