Restore Your Balance
November
Eating seasonally
It’s easy to eat seasonally in the summer when store shelves and markets are filled with gorgeous greens and beautiful berries. But a lot of people forget about eating seasonally in the late autumn, perhaps because there tends to be less variety available.
Many ancient and holistic medical traditions, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, view seasonal eating as the cornerstone to good health, both physically and emotionally. Foods from particular seasons can help the body meet season-specific challenges, such as colds and flus.
It’s believed that the energetics of food can also have an impact on us, both physically and mentally. The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation – they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Many feel that root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel grounded and rooted.
Top late-autumn produce includes:
- Lentils
- Carrots
- Celery root
- Sweet potatoes
- Beets
Cooking methods should also be taken into account during each season. Cooked food is easier to digest, so the energy that would have been used for digestion can now be available for other functions, like warming the body.
This simple recipe of a slow cooked spicy lentil soup will give the body necessary nutrients and warmness during the late-autumn days.
Oriental lentil soup with baby spinach leaves
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra–virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 long chopped celery stalk or ¼ of root celery
1 big or 2 small chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ tsp. turmeric, coriander and chili flakes
2 inch kombu (optional)
2 bay leaves
4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 ½ cups soaked lentils, rinsed, drained
1 cup diced tomatoes in juice
Balsamic vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
Salt and pepper
1-2 cups baby spinach leaves
Preparation:
- Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat.
- Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic;
- Sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes.
- Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth.
- Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth, if too thick.
- Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar/lemon juice, if desired.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with fresh spinach leaves.