So, like I mentioned previously, I’ve been on house arrest with strep throat this week. This being the hottest week of the summer so far, I’m trapped indoors. What 31-year-old gets strep throat in the middle of July? I haven’t had strep in over 20 years (reality check, I’m getting old)! Thank goodness for AC, popsicles, and farm goodness, or I may have just melted completely – mentally and physically. I’m welcoming this quarantine to recharge my batteries, clear my head and focus on a healthier future.
This week in the farm delivery was a beautiful head of savoy cabbage, one of my favorite varieties of cabbage. It’s sweeter and more flavorful than it’s more sulfuric cousin and it sure is pretty. Along with the savoy was another large bundle of laccinato kale, which I was eager to consume for it’s super food (recharge into superhuman) qualities. I’ve also been reading a lot about the health benefits of the gnarly root ginger, most having to do with anti-inflammatory and gastrointestinal effects. It’s also said to help sore throats. Bring on the ginger!
I was channeling something with Asian flare, a little sesame oil, maybe some cilantro and lime. As crazy as it sounds in this weather, I wanted to make a super food soup, capable of wiping the strep right out of me in one fell swoop. Who wants to eat soup in 95° weather? This girl. Trust me, it’s been a long summer so far, I’ll take all the super food I can get to recharge and charge forward.
Ingredients:
1 small savoy cabbage
1 bunch of kale (any variety will do)
1 large scallion
1 medium zucchini or summer squash
1 cup chicken stock
3 cups water
2 TBS EVOO
1TBS sesame oil
2 TBS roasted peanuts
1 lime, halved and quartered
2 TBS ginger root, grated
salt and pepper to taste
PREP:
Peel away a layer or two of the savoy cabbage to remove any damaged leaves. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core. Slice the half in half and slice into thin strips. Cut out the stem of the kale by folding it in half and cutting along the rib in the middle. Remove the stems from the kale. Slice the kale into thin strips. Cut the greens off of the scallion and save the greens for later. Cut the bulb in half and slice into half moons. Do the same for the zucchini, slice in half lengthwise and then slice about 1/8” thick.
Add evoo and sesame oil to a large straight-sided pan (with a lid) over medium heat. Add scallions and zucchini and sauté for 2 minutes. Add cabbage and kale, add salt and pepper to taste, sauté for 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add water and chicken stock. Reduce heat and cover with lid, let simmer for about 10 minutes or until kale and cabbage are tender. Turn off heat. Add grated ginger and stir to combine. Ladle soup into bowls and top with sliced green onions, peanuts and lime wedges. Get your super soup on.
Variations
This would be a great soup to turn the up the heat. Adding chili flake at any point would make spice lovers happy.
Cilantro would make a lovely garnish to this soup (I just used all mine in a fabulous compound butter listed below {scroll}).
Add bacon. I initially cooked up some bacon to sauté the cabbage in, but changed course thinking it might interfere with the Asian flavor. Nope. I crumbled the bacon on top and it was a lovely salty addition. Always use bacon.
The Harder She Cooks 