Paleo meets Skinny Girl Soup + Salad

I have a client who introduced me last year to the Paleo inspired book, “The Perfect Health Diet” based around the Paleo diet…I know, its super trendy and everyone is hitting it hard… but there is something to it. I think every single human being is different in the EXACT way they need to eat, but this is a good general outline to follow and has a lot of good points. I have eaten this way for probably most of my life (minus the beef bone dinosaur broth and innards), and my body responds well to it. I designed this soup and salad as a sort of curative quick recipe when your body is feeling a little neglected, but also when you don’t feel like having that brontosaurus Paleo meal, desiring something a bit lighter and let’s face it- girly. So it’s a faerie take on the whole bit I suppose…but seriously really filling and super digestible and satisfying. Even for a bloke… The key here is monounsaturated fats (avocado and coconut oil) and root veg (which should be a large part of your daily carb intake) with the added benefits of seaweed and fermented miso (Superfood meets Vitamin K2). A fistful of white basmati rice or quinoa would also not be terrible to add.

SALAD

Handful of cubed steamed (7 min) butternut squash or sweet potato

Handful of blueberries

½ an avocado diced

1 green onion diced thin

4 quail eggs (drop into boiling water with one tablespoon of vinegar, turn off heat, leave five minutes, put in ice water fifteen minutes, chill)

2 tablespoons of chopped chives

2 handfuls of your choice of baby lettuce

DRESSING

1 tablespoon of balsamic

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard

1 lemon squeezed

1 tablespoon good olive oil (Tuscan please?)

1 tablespoon of agave (or manuka honey/coconut nectar/maple syrup)

pinch of salt (Himalayan is the healthiest with all of it’s trace minerals intact)

pepper

Lay artfully onto a plate. Prepare dressing and set aside to make soup.

MISO SOUP (quick and homemade, don’t fear, but its always best to make miso fresh…trust me)

2 tablespoons of white miso (soybeans are not Paleo, but miso is fermented and therefore a probiotic full of live enzymes that aid in its digestion…I feel miso is an exception to the rule in small doses)

2 diced green onions

small handful of seed sprouts

teaspoon of chives

2 tablespoons of dried/then soaked seaweed (soak it in cold water for ten minutes- wakame or salad seaweed package works fine – sold at every Asian supermarket)

2 cups of boiled filtered water

1 tablespoon raw (unheated) coconut oil

OPTIONAL:

“Miso” teabags (containing bonito flakes and kombu – excellent stuff – www. Kayanoya.com to order… this saves you from the labor of boiling kombu and bonito from scratch and without it you simply don’t have that traditional nutrient rich miso soup flavor…but it is still fine without)

Cubed Konjac or Konjac noodles (made from a root vegetable which a staple in Japan and an excellent alkaline carb/protein and extremely low in calories…a superfood with amino acids and intestinal antibiotic qualities…not necessary but ticks off many nutritional boxes. This is sold at Whole Foods and most Asian Supermarkets – www.konjacfoods.com)

Boil your water and add a couple tablespoons to your miso and miso tea bag. Mix with a spoon until all is dissolved. Place all your ingredients in the bowl and stir until mixed and coconut oil is dissolved. Place in a small pot and pour remaining water on top.

Dress your salad. Heat the soup on the stove until just about to boil (don’t boil ever…will kill the excellent probiotics in the miso, so just heat until desired warmth).

Hangover cure? Marathon tomorrow? Feeling cancerous? Or just simply want to eat in the most intelligent way for your body;-) … Enjoy.