Kapha Cleansing Immunity Soup Recipe
Recently, I got back into making chickpeas from scratch (starting with their dried form). I like to do this because I find that when I soak and rinse garbanzos for a day or two, they are much more digestible than canned, and feel a lot better in my body.
Lots of people struggle to digest chickpeas comfortably, often feeling bloated after eating them. The issue may not be the chickpeas themselves, but how the are prepared. Opting for dried chickpeas, and soaking them overnight before cooking, is one way to transform that that experience. The best part is, making chickpeas from scratch is easier than you think — especially if you have an Instant Pot. Not to mention, they also take on a super creamy and delicious texture.
So, as you can imagine, I got excited about chickpeas — and cooked a bunch of them. Then realized, the main thing I typically made with chickpea was hummus... and, after exhausting that recipe, I felt like it was time to try something else with other ingredients in my home.
With the transition to spring, I’ve been craving warm, light soups with a nice spice to them and decided that’s what I would make! Because I’ve also been thinking a lot about ways to strengthen immunity through food, in addition to my usual fresh ginger, turmeric, kale and onion, I’ve also started incorporating leeks and fennel bulb.
This soup is designed to gently cleanse away the excess kapha that comes along with spring (like colds, allergies, brain fog and slow digestion), while also boosting immunity. It is nutrient-dense and easy on the digestive system.
Ingredients
1 leek – sliced into ¼ inch circles
1 onion – sliced
1 fennel bulb – chopped into small pieces, or sliced thin
2-4 cloves garlic — chopped fine
2-inch fresh ginger — sliced thin or grated
1-inch fresh turmeric — sliced thin or grated
2 tbsp ghee (our fave) or coconut oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
1 bunch curly kale — chopped or torn into small-ish pieces
1-quart vegetable broth
2-4 cups water
1-2 tbsp miso paste
1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (or 1 can, drained)
Optional garnish: Lime juice, cilantro and/or parsley
Method
Add ghee to pot and place over medium/low heat.
When ghee has melted, add onion. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes.
Add leeks and salt. Stir occasionally for 5-10 minutes, until leeks and onion start to look translucent.
Add fennel, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Stir occasional for 5-10 minutes.
Add spices and stir until other ingredients are coated.
In a large bowl, massage kale for about 1 minute with your hands to soften it.
Stir kale into pot.
Add vegetable broth and water. Bring to a boil.
Turn heat to medium/low and add chickpeas.
Dissolve miso in a about ¼ cup hot water, then add to pot.
Turn heat to low and cover with lid for 10 minutes or more.
To serve, with garnish of cilantro or parsley and a squeeze of lime.
Notes
Decide how much water you want to add to your soup based on your preferred consistency. You can always add more veggie broth instead of water.
Avoid bringing to a boil once the miso has been added.
When you add the kale, you can also add other vegetables (like carrots or radishes) at this time.
When you’re ready to go deeper…
Join us for our seasonal cleanse, The Reset for Resilience.
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