Ayurvedic Self-Care (Un)Recipe: Oops, I Overdid It Again Soup
I’m calling this an unrecipe because it is meant to be modified based on your needs, your body, your ingredients. Some of you will jump for joy at this chance to make it your own, but some of you are going to be shaking your fist at this screen because I didn’t give you exact measurements. Whatever side you fall on: you’re welcome for the chance to practice accepting what you are given.
The video follows the unrecipe.
Unrecipe: Oops I Overdid It Again Soup
Serves 4ish
⅔ cup red lentils, soaked 30 minutes and drained (substitute any lentil, e.g., brown/black/green/yellow/split mung; soak for at least 3 hours for all but split mung, which can be soaked for 30 minutes)
A heaping spoonful of ghee or a good pour of high-quality olive oil ½ tsp. mineral or sea salt
A spice mixture of mostly coriander, some fenugreek, some mustard seed, and a little bit of long pepper (or whatever savory spices you have around, such as cumin, fennel, pink peppercorn, ginger. The trick is to use the most of the weakest flavor, e.g., coriander or fennel, and less of the very strong spices, e.g., mustard seed and pepper)
Turmeric (fresh turmeric = about 1 ½ – 2 centimeter/dry turmeric = no more than ¼ tsp. because it is quite strong in taste and action)
1 bay leaf (they are quite camphorous so don’t overdo it)
About 2 cups carrots or any root vegetable, cut into any small shape you can manage
About 1 cup of celery, thinly cut 3-4 cups of water (more if you want it to be very soupy, i.e., very digestible, less if you want it to have more substance)
Optional: A squeeze of lemon or lime, chopped parsley, cilantro, dill, or basil
Warm the ghee or oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the salt and spices and cook for 1-2 minutes until they smell glorious. Add the celery and stir well, cooking for 1-2 minutes longer (in the video I had cooked the spice mixture a bit too long so I cut the celery cooking time a bit to avoid burning). Add the carrots and stir well. Add the drained lentils and stir again. Then add the water and cover. Turn the heat up until the soup comes to a boil, then turn it down to medium-low to keep it at a simmer. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and the lentils are tender.
Just before serving, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon or lime juice and top with a handful of chopped herbs. Serve with white rice, the easiest grain for sensitive stomachs.
Make your version of this soup and share the pics and tag me on Instagram or Facebook (@thesevamama) so the rest of the group can see.
