Immune Boosting Butternut Squash Soup

It’s immune boosting time! With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, everyone’s concerned with supporting their immune system naturally and effectively. What better way to support your immune system than with the most powerful tool you have in your tool box: your diet. Immune strengthening foods are antioxidant powerhouses that work by keeping inflammation at bay. This is important, since chronic inflammation depletes the immune system, making you more susceptible to catching infections.

One of the easiest and most delicious ways that I have found to obtain a variety of immune boosting foods into my diet is through blended soups. Warm, fragrant, and filling, my butternut squash soup recipe will have you surprised that vegetables can taste so delicious! One of the spotlight ingredients in this recipe is turmeric, which is an ancient spice that has been used for thousands of years for its medicinal properties. The active component in turmeric, called “curcumin”, is used in many dietary supplements today for its ability to inhibit viral replication and thus prevent the spread of viral infections.

This satisfying soup also contains a hefty amount of beta-carotene, which is a powerful antioxidant responsible for the orange color of the butternut squash. Once consumed, the human body converts beta-carotene into Vitamin A, which is essential for modulating the immune system and fighting off infections. Other mentionable ingredients in this recipe that have been shown to demonstrate anti-viral properties include rosemary, coconut oil, garlic, thyme, and onion. Treat your immune system (and your palate) to this satisfying and comforting butternut squash soup!

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 1 large butternut squash

• 1 medium onion (yellow, white, or sweet)

• 6 cloves of garlic

• 4 cups of bone broth

• 2 heads of fresh broccoli

• 2 tbsp of coconut oil

• 1.5 tsp ground turmeric

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1) Peel garlic cloves and chop onion into quarters. Peel, deseed, and cut butternut squash into cubes.  Add these vegetables to a pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with melted coconut oil and mix well. Season with rosemary, sea salt, and black pepper. Bake in oven at 400 F for 30 minutes.

2) Add 2 cups of bone broth to blender and add 1/2 of the roasted vegetables. Blend on high until smooth. Place this squash broth in a large soup pot. Add 2 more cups of bone broth to blender with remaining roasted vegetables. Blend and add to pot.

3) Add broccoli florets, turmeric, and thyme to soup pot. Cook on low heat for 30-35 minutes, stirring throughout. Enjoy!

Balanced Buddha Bowl

Who doesn’t love a balanced buddha bowl? One of the major dietary recommendations I am constantly giving to my patients is to eat a diversity of plant-based foods. Plant-based foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains. Depending on a patient’s health status, some of these plant-based foods need to be eliminated, but for the ones that remain, diversity is key.

Why Diversity? Plant-based foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and more importantly, fiber. Fiber is critical for keeping bowel movements healthy and cholesterol levels normal, but what most patients do not realize is that fiber plays a crucial role in regulating the gut microbiome! The gut microbiome includes >100 trillion microorganisms that line the entire human digestive tract. These microorganisms include bacteria, yeast, viruses, etc. that have a symbiotic relationship with our health (in other words, we provide them with nutrients, and they provide us with health promoting compounds). For example, fiber is called a “pre-biotic” because it feeds the good bacteria (probiotics) in our gut. When a person eats a high fiber diet, they are essentially fueling their gut microbiome everyday so that the probiotics can keep breeding and thus crowd out any harmful bacteria. In addition, when probiotics gobble up the fiber from plant-based foods, they release compounds called “short chain fatty acids”. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s for short) act as signaling agents for: repairing the tight junctions in the small intestine (in other words, repairing leaky gut syndrome), regulating blood sugar, and maintaining a healthy weight. When patients consume a diversity of plant-based foods (ie. many different vegetables and many different fruits), they are fueling many different strains of probiotics. This is important, since more gut microbiome diversity = a stronger immune system.

The buddha bowl is an easy and convenient way to get a diverse amount of plant-based foods into your diet. Simply prep all the ingredients, throw them in a bowl, toss them with a delicious homemade dressing, and your microbiome is fueled to take care of you!

Ingredients:

Makes 1 large bowl (serves 2)

• 1⁄2 cup quinoa

• 1⁄2 cup chickpeas (canned)

• 1 cup steamed vegetables, chopped (choose from broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, brussels sprouts, asparagus, onion, zucchini)

• 1 cup raw vegetables, chopped (choose from tomato, cucumber, celery, radish, cabbage, bell pepper, lettuce, carrot)

• 1/2 avocado (pit removed and flesh sliced)

• 1/4 cup dry roasted sunflower seeds

• 4 tbsp lemon juice

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt and black pepper to tase

Instructions

1. Rinse and soak quinoa overnight in 1 cup of water with 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (this removes anti-nutrients in the grain, which make it easier for your body to digest). *You can also opt to purchase “sprouted” quinoa at the store, which does not require soaking. Strain and rinse quinoa, and place in a small pot with 1 cup of fresh water. Cook on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Strain and rinse canned chickpeas. Mix olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, set aside.

3. Place cooked quinoa in a large bowl with chickpeas, steamed vegetables, and raw vegetables, Top with sliced avocado and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with mixed olive oil/lemon juice dressing and season with a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Enjoy!