Raw Garden Vegetable Soup

My blender has been quite busy as this week as I am testing out a meal plan I created for a green smoothie detox. I am already on day 3 of 7, and I am feeling pretty good considering I should be experiencing the detoxification symptoms around this time. I felt a little hungry on the first day, but nothing to complain about, and I felt a little tired this afternoon. This week has brought to my attention how much I eat just because I want to procrastinate from working! Although it’s mostly raw veggies, I am constantly eating, and these few days showed me how much more work I can get done with scheduled meals!

Green smoothies are so easy to make and to clean up after that I prefer them to juicing. They also contain all the fiber juicing leaves out that helps to keep me full between meals.

I’ve included a few raw soups into my meal plan, because they are really just green smoothies in disguise. Eating my smoothie warm and with a spoon is more satisfying than just drinking them. The soups also allow me to leave fruits out of a few savory meals which help me feel fuller for longer. This Raw Garden Vegetable Soup can be served warm by using warmed water or heating the bowls (without the soup in them) before serving it. The chili pepper helps it seem warmer and the sun-dried tomatoes give it a cooked taste.

Raw Garden Vegetable Soup
serves 3-4

1 cup dark leafy greens and stems
4 tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper/capsicum
1 carrot
3-4 ribs of celery
1/2 cup green cabbage
5-6 leaves fresh basil or 1/4-1/2 tsp dried
1 clove garlic
3-4 sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 seeded hot chili pepper (optional)
2 cups warm water as needed

• Chop all vegetables into a size your blender can easily handle. Blend vegetables and 1 cup of water on high until a smoothie consistency is reached. Add remaining cup of water as necessary.
• Serve immediately in microwave-warmed bowls if desired. (Don’t microwave the soup!)