Ayurvedic Vegetable Soup Recipe

Warming Yet Light Ayurvedic Vegetable Soup Recipe with Fennel, Potatoes, and Chard - Perfect for the Transition from Vata to Kapha Time of Year

Meghan Hays Ayurveda Salt Lake City
Cozy Veggie Soup with Fennel, Potatoes, and Chard

Ayurvedic Vegetable Soup Recipe - Warm up to winter with this light yet nourishing Ayurvedic soup.  Early winter is the vata time of year, when we have more air and ether (think: light, dry, unstable, and mobile) in our environment as well as our minds and bodies.  We need heavier, warming, nourishing foods, like soups, stews, and curries to keep us fortified and stable during this unstable time.  Late winter (and early spring) is the kapha time of year, when the snow starts to melt and new growth and new life begin again.  We have more earth and water (think: stability, emotional flow, moisture, and some heaviness).  It's often still chilly, so warming foods like soups and stews are still just the thing for balance, but with the extra heaviness beginning to accumulate in the environment and in our bodies, keeping things a little lighter by using ingredients, like veggies and beans, full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, we can find a nice balance between the seasons.  

Ingredients:
2-3 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil and/or Ghee
4-5 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped (optional - antimicrobial for cold/flu season)
1 leek, white parts only, sliced lengthwise then thinly sliced into half-moons (optional - warming but not as heating as onions) (save or freeze the green parts for homemade veggie broth!) 
4 carrots, halved lengthwise then thinly sliced into half-moons
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced 
1 fennel bulb, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (save or freeze the green parts for homemade veggie broth!)
1 bunch chard, leaves removed from stems, stems finely chopped, leaves halved or quartered lengthwise (depending on how wide they are), then thinly sliced
28 oz can organic, whole, San Marzano tomatoes (preferable for sweetness, but you can just use what you can find) 
6 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I like to make my own from veggie scraps from recipes like this one)
1 large or 2-3 small, russet potatoes, medium diced (I leave skins on for more nutrition…and I’m lazy)
1/2 cup orzo pasta (or any other small grain or pasta) - optional but makes this soup so hearty and “silky”!
2, 15oz cans cannellini or white beans, drained and rinsed 
Large handful of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/2-1 cup total, when chopped)
Salt and pepper to taste 
Any fresh herbs, finally chopped, like rosemary or thyme, to taste 

Directions:
Heat oil and/or ghee over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. 
Add leeks, carrots, celery, and fennel. 
Sprinkle with salt (helps soften your veggies).
Sauté until slightly tender…about 10-15 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking. 
Add chard stems and garlic, stirring constantly to avoid burning garlic, just until fragrant (no more than a minute).
Add canned tomatoes and broth, stirring to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of he pot. Break up whole tomatoes with a potato masher (little trick to avoid them squirting all over you and your kitchen) or gently with a wooden spoon. 
Bring to a simmer, then add orzo and potatoes. Simmer, stirring often to avoid pasta sticking to bottom of pot, for about 15 minutes, or until pasta and potatoes are tender. 
Add salt and pepper to taste. 
Add any fresh herbs, beans, chard leaves, and parsley. Stir until wilted and warmed through. 
Taste again for salt and pepper. 
Cozy up, and serve warm with grated Parmesan cheese, grated Pecorino Romano cheese (my fave for its salty “bite”), or nutritional yeast to make this vegetarian. 
Enjoy!   

Reach out with questions or for more info [email protected] or to schedule an Ayurvedic consultation today!  
​