So, despite my crazy school schedule, I have been doing pretty intense workouts lately, including spinning class twice a week, lifting three days a week, running or swimming one day and going to Sunday afternoon yoga. Whoa. I signed up for the West Salem Triathlon in June and this was just the kick I needed to start training more intensely. As a result, I have been hungry 24/7 and have been eating like its my full time job. Much of the food were things I knew wouldn't' fuel my body to perform well,, so I decided to do a weeklong detox/raw food cleanse (more on this later). After my week detox, I made it a priority to incorporate more protein into my diet. I promise...this is going somewhere. When I was selecting my weekly soup to make this past weekend, I wanted to find a recipe that had a good amount of protein in it. This can be somewhat challenging with soup, but I stumbled upon one in my Super Natural Foods cookbook that was perfect: Edamame Soup. I had never heard of edamame until two years ago when I first had them at the Root Note in La Crosse. Ever since, these little guys have been a favorite of mine. For those of you who are unfamiliar with edamame, they are immature soy beans that are green in color. Here, I took a picture of these little guys so you could see what they look like (they grow in pods, these are shelled edamame bean.)
Here is the best part...a serving size of a half cup has 12, yes, TWELVE grams of protein and only 120 calories! Here is an excerpt about these wonders from edamame.com:
" Edamame is a green vegetable more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. The word Edamame means "Beans on Branches," and it grows in clusters on bushy branches. To retain the freshness and its natural flavor, it is parboiled and quick-frozen. In East Asia, the soybean has been used for over two thousand years as a major source of protein. "
Okay, enough about these beans. I could go on an on about my affection for them...but what you really want it the recipe for the soup I made. Here it is:
Edamame Soup (101cookbooks.com and Super Natural Cooking, Heidi Swanson)
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and cut into small cubes,
750 g (1 1/2 lb) frozen edamame beans, defrosted
1 quart (1.2 litres or 2 pints) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 potato, peeled and cut into small cubes,
750 g (1 1/2 lb) frozen edamame beans, defrosted
1 quart (1.2 litres or 2 pints) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons creme fraiche
salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
In a pan, saute the onion and potato in the oil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cover and allow it to soften for about 4 minutes, until they have both softened. Stir to prevent the mixture from sticking and burning. Add the beans and the vegetable stock. Put the lid on and simmer on a medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the beans are tender. Puree in a food processor or with a hand blender. Stir in the creme fraiche, reheat gently without boiling and serve.
**I didn't buy creme fraiche, instead I used 4 tbs of plain greek yogurt. I topped each bowl with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper. My soup was rather thick, but I think this is because I don't always follow directions and used 2 lbs of edamame, rather than 1.5 lbs. Woodman's only had 1 lb bags, so I bought 2 and used them both. If you do this, add more vegetable stock to thin it out, mine was rather thick.
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| No time for good pictures, this will have to do! |
Ohhh, one more thing...When I made the soup, I was able to use my new red soup pot, courtesy of my lovely mother. Thanks Mom!
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I'm heading home for Christmas break...which means I will spend countless hours in the kitchen with my Mama. Stayed tuned for adventures in the kitchen at 4120!
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