‘Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day and awakens the appetite’
I adapted this recipe from Amy Chaplin’s, Whole Food Cooking. I liked the idea of hazelnuts in soup and had a butternut squash from my father in laws garden that needed eating before he came over for Easter. It was a lovely addition, thickening the soup as well as giving it an extra depth of flavour. Adding hazelnuts to the top for a textural contrast was also a delicious treat.
I recently spent the weekend in Cold Springs with some lovely guests cooking for 8 people in total. It was a retreat where the focus was renewal. My focus therefore was to keep the food easy on the digestion. When our digestion is at ease, our bodies have the chance to focus elsewhere and renew other organs and systems.
I featured a beluga lentil and miso soup, Kitchari (rice and lentil soup) and date banana oatmeal. I included quinoa in stock with market vegetables for lunch, when the digestion was strongest. The comments I received from the guests was that the food felt nurturing and helped with a good night’s sleep.
My style of cooking is consistent with the Ayurvedic principles of good digestion following the sun as the indication of how strong your Agni is (digestive fire). Light breakfast, bigger lunch and lighter dinner. All food was nutritionally dense so without overeating you feel satiated.
I learnt these principles when I studied for my Ayurvedic Practitioner qualification and really lived it when working at Divya’s Kitchen in Manhattan. Cooking and eating the food she designed around these principles. I was pregnant during my externship working in the kitchen in the summer so was energy deficient and Divya’s food gave me strength to replenish my energy reserves and more.
This is what food should do; it should strengthen and nourish you.
Divya was kind enough to give our guests her Balanced Kitchari to help them along on their Ayurvedic journey after the retreat. She has also offered us and you a 20% discount code till the end of the month. Just use PLANTTOTABLE on check out.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. EV Coconut Oil
- 4 Shallots, small dice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 tsp. pink Himalayan salt
- 1 large squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 5 cups water
Hazelnut Milk
- 2/3 cup raw hazelnuts, toasted
- 2 cups water
Method
- Toast the hazelnuts at 300F for 10 minutes, let cool
- Warm the oil in a pot at a medium heat, add the shallots and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes until starting to soften, add the garlic, rosemary and rest of the salt, stir often. Cook for another 1 minute or so, do not let the garlic burn.
- Add the squash and water. Bring to a boil and then down to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender.
- Whilst the soup is cooking, place the cooled hazelnuts in an upright blender and blend with the water until smooth. Set aside
- Once the soup is cooked, check for seasoning. Add some salt and if you like some freshly ground pepper.
- Let cool a little and then blend in a blender or use an immersion blender to create a smooth texture.
- Add the hazelnut milk and taste again for seasoning.
- Serve with a sprinkle of crushed hazelnuts and EVOO.
