This search for fiber has turned me into Sherlock Holmes – complete with deerstalker hat, magnifying glass, and a squinting eye.
Our recent post about stirring chia seeds into almond milk to ramp up fiber consumption, also spoke of the very high fiber content of legumes. So, it was with great interest a recipe for white bean and kale soup dropped into my email.
Beans, peas, and lentils are all legumes that, in addition to being high in dietary fiber, are low in fat and cholesterol – and high in folate, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
How surprised I was, while assembling and using the 23 ingredients from the new recipe – WOW! – a simpler version of the same recipe was on the label of the vegetable broth I was using. In addition to salt and pepper, the simple recipe calls for two herbs, while the other called for seven herbs and spices.
It’s like the author of my recipe said, meh, not enough flavor or texture.
You can be the judge, as I present downloadable and printable back-to-back recipes below.
We should also be on the lookout for color as well as fiber.
The intense color of fruits and vegetables signals their high content of phytonutrients – elements that provide excellent nutritional value through antioxidant activity, and their anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic properties.
What is the color of fall? Orange!
Think: Carrots, pumpkin, acorn squash, butternut squash, and most all the other edible gourds. They pack fiber AND color.
The more complicated recipe called for butternut squash, celery, kale, and a larger proportion of carrots – all excellent options for vitamins and phytonutrients.
Readers of my first book, Toolkit for Wellness, know there can be a concern about legumes having phytic acid. Soaking and cooking beans will effectively neutralize the effects of the phytic acid’s anti-nutrient properties, which is explained HERE.
I did not add the cream or the parmesan cheese, and those dairy elements were not missed.
Overall, this proved to be a hearty, satisfying, and – certainly – fragrant bowl of soup. What a cornucopia of ingredients, flavors, fiber, colors, and benefits.
It’s nice to know I can tweak the simpler one to any level I want – based on ingredients at hand – to get closer to the one with more ingredients.
I hope you enjoyed another pot of soup from foodtalk4you. Share with your friends using the options under the MORE button below.
In health –
Deidre