Recipe: Essential Vegetable Soup
In the book "Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power" (Avery), Lisa Mosconi, the associate director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, offers what she calls "the ultimate brain-healthy soup, featuring a wide range of super nutrients":
"Sweet peas are a good source of glutathione, our body's master antioxidant. Onions are healthy carbohydrates, rich in glucose and good at nourishing our good-gut microbes. Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, high in fiber and vitamins A, C, and B6, along with plenty of antioxidant phytonutrients. Edamame is a good source of lean vegetable protein that our brains rely on to function properly. Finally, brewer's yeast is an excellent source of brain-essential choline and vitamin B12. If that weren't enough, these flavors combine to make a knockout of a dish.
"Ideally, use only organic vegetables. I prefer to cook these al dente, as I like the consistency better than mushy vegetables, and I believe it preserves the veggies' ability to better deliver their nutrients."
Essential Vegetable Soup
Recipe by Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 pound broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped red cabbage
6 medium carrots, finely chopped
6 scallions, finely chopped, white tops only
4 stalks organic celery, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (roasted garlic is even better!)
2 cups organic sweet peas (frozen are good, too)
1 cup organic edamame (shelled and frozen are good, too)
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
2 quarts vegetable broth (no added salt)
6 teaspoons brewer's yeast, 1 teaspoon per person
Preparation:
Step 1. Place all the veggies in a large pot. Add the broth. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.
Step 2. Distribute the soup among bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the brewer's yeast over each serving. Feel free to add brown rice for extra texture.
Reprinted from "Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power" by arrangement with Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2018, Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D.
For more info:
- "Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power" by Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D. (Avery), in Hardcover, Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon