Recipe by Catherine Carrigan

 

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Note from Catherine: This is the best soup I think I have ever tasted! Keep it in your refrigerator for a great afternoon snack or a healthy first course at any meal. It will satisfy your need for something healthy and delicious! Use organic ingredients for best results.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Vidalia onion
• 1/2 cup red pepper
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 1/2 cup wheat-free Tamari sauce (a soy sauce substitute)
• 1 medium apple,chopped
• 2 large oranges, peeled and pureed in blender
• 2 large tomatoes

 

Directions:

Chop onion and red pepper in blender. Set aside in a bowl you can refrigerate. Mince mint leaves, garlic and Tamari sauce together. Add to the bowl. Chop apple in blender. Add to bowl. Puree oranges into juice. Add to bowl. Chop tomatoes in blender. Add to bowl. Take about half the mixture, puree again, then mix all together. Keep it slightly chunky and refrigerate.

 

What’s healthy about this recipe:

1. Every ingredient is chock-full of energy-giving nutrients.

2. Many people are allergic or sensitive to soy – wheat-free Tamari sauce is an excellent alternative.

3. In the area of food and phytonutrient research, nothing has been hotter in the last several years than studies on the lycopene in tomatoes. This carotenoid found in tomatoes (and everything made from them) has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and cancer-preventing properties. The antioxidant function of lycopene-its ability to help protect cells and other structures in the body from oxygen damage-has been linked in human research to the protection of DNA (our genetic material) inside of white blood cells. Prevention of heart disease has been shown to be another antioxidant role played by lycopene.

4. Mint is well known for its ability to sooth the digestive tract and reduce the severity and length of stomach aches. In addition, mint teas and other herbal preparations have shown great promise at easing the discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome, and even at slowing the growth of many of the most harmful bacteria and fungi. The well-documented antifungal properties of mint are thought to play a role in the treatment of asthma and many allergy conditions as well.

5. Raw, crushed garlic is anti-fungal as well as antibiotic. It is known in herbal folklore as a wonder drug treating everything from the common cold to managing high cholesterol and warding off mosquitoes.

6. Brightly colored bell peppers, whether green, red, orange or yellow, are rich sources of some of the best nutrients available. To start, peppers are excellent sources of vitamin C and vitamin A (through its concentration of carotenoids such as betacarotene), two very powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants work together to effectively neutralize free radicals, which can travel through the body causing huge amounts of damage to cells. Free radicals are major players in the build up of cholesterol in the arteries that leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease, the nerve and blood vessel damage seen in diabetes, the cloudy lenses of cataracts, the joint pain and damage seen in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.