Cold and rainy Sundays in Los Angeles are perfect weather for my favorite comfort Detox Vegetable Soup recipe sourced from the local Sunday morning Farmer's Market. (Gotta' support our farmer's--especially in bad weather.) Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts supply glucosinolates which help the liver detoxify chemicals, drugs, and pollutants and cleanse the colon. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts contribute alpha-lipoic acid, a powerful antioxidant that destroys harmful free radicals, which are byproducts of detoxification. They also contain sulfur compounds that help clear the body of discardable neurotransmitters, and hormones. *Recipe from The SOUPer Slim Meal Plan e-book.

Detox Vegetable Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 T Olive Oil

1 T Italian Seasonings Herb Mix to taste

1 T Garlic Powder

1 t Fresh Ground Pepper

2-8 oz Cans Low Sodium Fat-Free Chicken, Beef, or Vegetable Broth

1 Extra Large Spanish Onion, diced

1 Large Green or Red Pepper, diced

8 Oz Package or 1 cup of Button Mushrooms, quartered

2 Medium Zucchini diced

1 Medium Yellow Squash, diced

32 Ounce can Italian Plum Tomatoes cut (I like San Marzano)

4-5 Large Carrots, peeled and diced

1 ½ Cups of Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli or Napa Cabbage, quartered

1 Large Hand Full Green Beans, diced

¼ Cup Parsley, chopped 

DIRECTIONS

1. In 8-10 quart saucepan sauté onions and peppers until golden with olive oil. Add mushrooms and sauté until golden and dry. 
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1+ hour. You may switch up or add any seasonal vegetables you prefer. For example: broccoli, broccoli rabbi, or Napa cabbage. 

One portion is 1 ½ cups.  For a complete dinner add two hard boiled eggs, or 4-6 ounces (the size of the palm of your hand) of baked, broiled or grilled poultry, fish or meat. Yields: 8 servings.  Serving size: 1 cup. Nutrition Content:  80 Calories, 2g fat, 0g saturated fat, 3g protein, 15g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 237g sodium. 

*Seasonal variations for Late Harvest/Winter may be root vegetables like turnips, carrots, parsnips, and acorn, butternut or pumpkin squash.  Delete Italian seasonings and substitute fresh sage and thyme. (No potatoes).