Leek Soup with Purple Sage: Transition to Spring

By Dr. Amy Sedgwick & Dr. Rashmi Bismark share a delicious spring leek soup recipe. They also discuss what Eastern medicine says about the transition into spring, and what it means for your body.

Spring Leek Soup with Purple Sage

Spring is here in the Northern hemisphere and the green unfolding around us nourishes the soul through our eyes.  Our energy and creativity are arising as we emerge from a more introspective winter phase and move into the active nature of spring.

During this time of year, Chinese medicine emphasizes light and pungent foods such as fresh herbs, garlic, young plants, fresh greens, sprouts and immature wheat or other cereal grasses.  Foods are best cooked for a shorter time but at higher temperatures.

The Ayurvedic tradition of India offers similar wisdom. As the earth thaws from winter, frost turns to dew, and rains abound, the lusciousness of Spring is associated with the kapha dosha – cool, moist, heavy, soft, dense, and stable. Like in Chinese medicine, diets to maintain balance during kapha season encourage foods that are warm, dry, light, pungent, and astringent.

Spring Foods

While you explore ways to nurture equanimity and resilience this Spring, consider bringing awareness to how the foods you are eating impact your vibrancy. Inviting a taste of mindful eating, use meals or snack times as an opportunity to simply observe the effects of various foods on your whole being with full attention and a bit of playful curiosity. What sensations arise in the body? Is there a feeling of lightness or heaviness, a sense of satisfaction or aversion, or maybe no change at all? What emotions and thoughts are triggered? How do these foods nourish you?

We would love to hear your experiences and invite you to share your favorite healthy Spring recipes with our Yoga Medicine community. In the meantime, here is a wonderful spring soup to tap into the essence of this time of year.  Drawn from the amazing cookbook, The Love and Lemons Cookbook, by Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews – the Spring Leek Soup with Purple Sage is a sure winner.

Ingredients:

4 medium leeks

2 teaspoons (10ml) extra-virgin olive oil

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4c loosely packed thyme sprigs, coarsely chopped

11/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 recipe traditional pesto

Crusty sprouted bread

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Traditional pesto (mix all of these ingredients together in a food processor until smooth):

1/4 cup evoo

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic

2 cups basil

1/2 cups pine nuts

1/4 parmesan cheese (omit if vegan or use a vegan substitute)

Directions:

1. Slice the white and light green parts of the leek into rings.  Using a strainer, rinse the leeks thoroughly.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.   Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir and cook until the leeks begin to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add potatoes and another few generous pinches of salt, and cook until the potatoes begin to soften about 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and sage and continue cooking for 1 more minute.  Now add the vegetable broth and thyme.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes, adding the cannellini beans during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.
4. Add the lemon juice, then taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and pepper as desired.
5. Serve with traditional pesto and crusty sprouted bread on the side.