As someone who is constantly thinking about nutrition and healthy eating, I find that there are times in life when eating well is more challenging. The holiday season and during pregnancy are both times when it’s easy to slide into eating for comfort rather than health. Leading up to Thanksgiving, I decided to make a soup that’s packed with phytonutrients (which happen to fight cancer) and flavor. Just look at the ingredient list, and you’ll know this Roasted Garlic Anti-cancer Soup is going to give you a healthy dose of nutrition!
I LOVE garlic, especially when it’s roasted. It adds such a wonderful caramelized umami flavor to this soup! Garlic and onions are members of the allium family, which are known cancer fighters. This creamy anti-cancer soup contains a whole head of roasted garlic — but don’t worry, it’s not overpowering!
Tip: If you want this soup to come together quickly, I recommend roasting the garlic ahead of time. To roast a head of garlic, cut off the pointed top to expose the tops of the cloves, then wrap head tightly with foil. Roast about 35 mins at 425° F, then let it cool before handling it.
In addition to onions and garlic, I try to eat cooked mushrooms every day. Mushrooms contain bioactive molecules that suppress tumor growth and boost your immune system. Always make sure you only eat cooked mushrooms though, because many raw mushrooms contain traces of carcinogenic compounds called hydrazine, and shiitake mushrooms contain a naturally-occurring formaldehyde. Both of these chemicals are heat-sensitive and are thus destroyed during cooking.
When is comes to cooking vegetables to retain as many nutrients and cancer-fighting properties as possible, I go for steaming. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, contain compounds that come together to form the cancer fighter sulphoraphane. Overcooking cruciferous veggies in the microwave or via boiling destroys these compounds and prevents sulphoraphane from forming. For ideal antioxidant formation, studies recommend steaming broccoli for about 4 minutes, which is what we do for this anti-cancer soup.
Rather than seasoning with granulated salt, I blended in a small amount of miso, which is fermented soy paste. Some studies indicate that regular miso intake reduces the risk of breast and liver cancers, and we already know that fermented foods are good for our gut. It also gives a wonderful umami flavor to dishes, so it was a perfect addition to this soup.
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms, any kind, preferably a blend
- 1 broccoli crown with stem, chopped
- 1 cup chopped asparagus
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- 1 large handful raw spinach
- 1 Tbs. white miso paste
- Black pepper to taste
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1½ cup warm veggie broth (low sodium pref.)
- Place cashews in a bowl and cover with warm water. Set aside.
- Preheat oven (I use a toaster oven) to 425 degrees F. Cut off the pointed top of the garlic head to expose the tops of the cloves. Wrap tightly with foil, then roast about 35 mins. Allow to cool before handling.
- While the garlic is roasting, chop your veggies and place the zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli, asparagus, and onion in a steam basket. Place basket over a pot containing and inch or two of boiling water. Cover and steam on medium heat for about 4 mins. Add the spinach, re-cover, and steam one more minute to wilt.
- While the veggies are steaming, add the miso paste, black pepper, lemon juice, and veggie broth to a high-speed blender.
- When the veggies have steamed and the garlic has cooled, squeeze the garlic head to extract the roasted garlic cloves into the blender. Add the veggies and drained cashews, then blend until completely smooth. Taste and add more lemon juice, miso, or black pepper if needed.
- Serve hot, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika or fresh herbs if desired.
This creamy roasted garlic anti-cancer soup is so velvety and tasty! Both of my kids love it, which is a bonus. Would they sit down and eat a pile of mushrooms and green veggies? Probably not, but they’ll eat this delicious soup and ask for seconds!
♥ ♥ ♥
Also try my Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup!
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