No. 6

                                                        Liver Tonic Soup                                                    

The Liver Tonic Soup is both cleansing and strengthening to the liver.  It can be used anytime of the year and makes a great winter soup.  The base used can be distilled water, organic chicken broth, or bone broth.  Chicken broth adds flavor and helps reduce nausea for those with a weak stomach.  Bone Broth on the other hand is made very specifically to extract collagen out of the bones and infuse it into the liquid.  The collagen in Bone Broth is healing to the entire intestinal tract and strengthening for ill health. Collagen is very difficult to get into the system as we age.  Collagen supports healthy tighter skin and heals the lining of the intestines.  The bones used for making Bone Broth needs to be high quality from either a cow or chicken which has not been fed antibiotics or hormones. If you do not have a gluten-intolerance, and are recovering from illness, adding some whole pearl barley is considered a tonic food for convalescence as well and can be added to this recipe.

The liver is most active along with the gallbladder, in the spring season of the year.  Early spring is a great time to use this tonic soup recipe to strengthen an already active organ.  For follow-up to the Liver Tonic Soup you can include fresh juice a couple times each week.  Most authorities agree that fresh carrot juice is an excellent food for the liver and gallbladder.  If you wish to include juicing, prepare carrot juice in a ratio of 2/3 carrot to 1/3 celery and include a knob of ginger root.  Carrot juice is not of course recommended for diabetics due to the natural sugars in carrot. For additional blood cleansing, include ¼ to ½ beet.  (6 carrots, 4 stalks celery, knob of ginger, ¼ to ½ beet)

Liver Tonic Soup

12 cups distilled water (or you can use more for more broth if you wish)
1-2 tablespoons of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, chopped with skins
3 tomatoes, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 small or medium beets, chopped
2 stalks of celery (including the tops), chopped
1 large red onion, chopped
1 inch finely chopped and peeled ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch sliced kale or beet greens
1/4 medium to small head of red cabbage
2-3 fresh artichoke hearts  (make the soup broth using these and then add the heart, set the leaves aside for later at a meal)
Optional:  1 oz. Triple Medicinal Mushrooms Tea (shiitake, maitake, reishi) or any medicinal mushroom

Optional:  Seaweed has a wealth of minerals and phytonutrients.  I like to use a sushi seaweed sheet and just crush it and toss it into the soup.  If you have access to nori, or any seaweed, it is a great inclusion for this soup.  If seaweed is undesirable to you or unavailable, you can add in a couple handfuls of fresh baby spinach leaves.

1 cup cooked beans or lentils (canned beans are ok, or cook lentils into the soup) and wild rice if you have it. When adding lentils to the soup, time it at the end of cooking time because lentils cook more quickly than wild rice and certainly faster than beans if using standard dried beans instead of the canned.  Canned lentils and beans are easy and convenient if you want to use them by just adding near the end of cooking time. It is easy today to find canned organic beans and lentils at the grocery stores.

Step 1- the broth base: Cook the 3 whole artichokes in a pot of water, bone broth, or chicken broth- Cook the artichokes covered on a low simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove artichokes and set the liquid aside for making the soup. Strip the artichoke leaves off and set aside to eat later at your meal. If you do not know how to prepare an artichoke, go to YouTube and watch a quick “how-to-video”. Prepare the heart and put it back into the broth. See Post 7 for the Bone Broth Recipe.

Step 2:  Add small amounts of celery seed, turmeric powder or rhizomes, pepper and miso (or tamari) to taste. In a large saucepan add the oil and stir-fry the vegetables- Add the celery (plus tops), ginger, turmeric, tomato, potato, carrots, beets, onions, celery seed and garlic and some pepper. Stir continuously so the vegetables do not stick to the bottom or burn.

Step 3:  After stir-frying the vegetables, combine everything: Bring to the point of boiling, then reduce the heat to the lowest simmer. Off-set the pot if necessary to keep it simmering but do not boil. Add the seaweed, lentils/beans/(fresh) or wild rice and stir. Cook for about 2 hours. Lastly add the kale, beet greens, and canned beans or lentils if using these, about 15 minutes before you serve. Stir in the miso/tamari to taste.

OPTIONAL-  For added detox, drink Liver Repair or Liver Detox Tea, 15-20 minutes before each meal for 1 week to 1 month.  To prepare this medicinal tea, follow the instructions for a making a “Tea Concentrate” under Post No. 2

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