Heart healthy comfort foods just got a little more creative!
Watercress is very popular in Asian dishes and soups. My family always made soups with this special, spicy green which is part of the mustard family. I’ve never really cooked with them until today, but they make great additions to salads and pesto as well!
You can find them in abundance at most Chinese super markets
Watercress is particularly high in vitamin A and calcium, as well as vitamin C, potassium, iron, magnesium and traces of nearly all the B vitamins. It also contains phytonutrients and many hernalists claim that watercress is a good blood purifier. You just cant go wrong with dark greens!
Combine these babies with some protein-rich quinoa and shiitake mushrooms and you’ll end up with this super anti-cancer, energy
boosting, immunity enhancing, complete protein soup! It’s totally something I need on this cold winter day.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (avocado, grapeseed, etc)
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- one fingernail sized ginger, chopped
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 1 pack of shiitake mushrooms (100g)
- 3 cups organic vegetable broth (low sodium optional)
- 2 bunches watercress,optional to trim thick stems and coarsely chopped
- Pepper, freshly ground
- Lemon wedges, for serving
What to do
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil, ginger, and garlic, and cook until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in mushrooms. Cook 1 minute.
- Add stock and 1 1/2 cups of water, add quinoa, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in watercress. Return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Divide among soup bowls, and squeeze a lemon wedge into each bowl.
Please like and share!
