I have just finished slurping down a delicious bowl of soup, made from a recipe shared by Su. Now that we are rolling into Autumn, a bowl of soup filled with seasonal vegetables and spices is a perfect way to help us attune to the changing of the seasons. “In autumn, there should be fewer salads and more soups.”* The longer cooking time of soups allows the ingredients to be digested more easily and the watery medium of soup nurtures yin. (Autumn and winter are considered the yin seasons.)
The splats on Su’s recipe page are a sure sign that this is a well-used and well-loved recipe. Both Su and I made a few modifications to the original recipe. Su didn’t have any powdered garlic (for the spice mix) so she used a fresh glove, and in place of the dried herbs listed she used “Italian Mix”. She also replaced the “low-sodium vegetable broth” with her well-loved homemade chicken broth.
I didn’t use powdered garlic or onion (in my low FODMAP version). I added a generous splash of garlic-infused olive oil instead. I also added in some organic carrots, as the boys love them (and I’m hoping they might disguise the sweet potatoes a little, which the boys don’t love.) Energy moves downwards in autumn, so as the season progresses, it is helpful to eat more foods with downward energy, such as root vegetables (e.g. sweet potato, carrots, potatoes). I also used fresh tomatoes as tomatoes are plentiful at the moment. They are coming towards the end of their growing season so now is the time to make the most of their optimal nutrition and fresh sunshine flavour.
Cabbage is said to support Liver chi and to relax the intestines (so relieves constipation). Different types of cabbages can cause wind which can be relieved by adding a small piece of ginger or fennel to your cooking. Cabbage owes many of its healing properties to its abundant sulphur content (sulphur is warming, destroys parasites and purifies the blood).
If anyone has any favourite recipes they would like to share, that make the most of seasonal produce, please forward them to me and I can share them out via email or blog post.
A BIG thank you to Su for sharing this Angela Liddon recipe and her modifications with us 🙂 🙏.
It’s now time for me to go and dust off the slow cooker for autumn & winter…
x Freya
* "Food For The Seasons. Eat well and stay healthy the traditional chinese way." Professor Lun Wong and Kath Knapsey
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