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#64 Soup
The winter months can be pretty cold around here. As the outside temperature drops so do our body’s ability to maintain heat. We are, after all, a mere reflection of our environment. Soups are a nice way to keep the inner fire going, as it were, and to help keep the cold winds at bay, as they say. Another great thing about making soup is cleaning out the vegetable bin in the refrigerator. Any and all vegetables have a place in soup making.
There are three types of soups you can make with meat or with just vegetables. All are categorized according to the length of time you cook the soup. Broth is usually simmered, cooked from 45 minutes to 2 hours and produces a soup with a very light and thin consistency. Stock is also simmered, like broth, but cooks from 3 to 4 hours. Broth and stock are probably what most of us grew up with and are familiar with. They are easier to make and provide moderate amounts of nutrition.
Longevity soup (made with only vegetables) and bone broth (made with meat and bones), though not hard to make, require a little more time to prepare and a lot more time to cook. These types of soups are highly nutritious. They produce a rich, flavorful texture and are an excellent addition to any healing protocol. Cooking time for a longevity soup is usually 12 hours and for a bone broth upwards of 24 hours Crockpots, or slow cookers, are ideal for making these types of soup. Find one that has high and a low setting (an additional “keep warm” setting is nice) and a timer. Put your ingredients in, set on low, set the timer and forget about it.
Here’s to the Health of your Life.