Bookmark Sunday: SuperJuice

Connoisseurus Veg's Green Curry Potato Soup

My first 'real' job, after babysitter, camp counsellor, and usher at the old Fox theatre, was as a waitress at the local diner. Every day at the diner, three specials were posted. Special No. 3, whatever it was, always started with a choice of soup or juice, which, if you are sixteen years old and bored out of your mind, you like to pronounce as 'Superjuice.'

Likewise, all large meals on my father's side of the family started with a small glass of tomato juice, which both my mother and grandmother made and preserved themselves. It had to be tomato. Orange and apple juice were not options.

Why? As far as I can tell, there is a tradition to start the meal with 'superjuice' to stimulate digestive enzymes before you get to the largest portion of the meal. It also allows diners to adjust the quantity and type of food to their specific needs. A heavy eater can eat more and someone who is not feeling well can have soup and eat more lightly on the main course.

Soup or juice has also come into the spotlight in recent years as soup replaces juice as the 'it' way to cleanse or detox. Soup has the advantage of being based on vegetables as opposed to fruit and, therefore, tends to have less sugar. It is also more beneficial to those of us who live in cold climates, where a juice cleanse can lead to feeling chilled.

We've been talking about soup a lot this weekend in my house because we are both fighting sinus congestion. The snow is finally gone, leaving leaf mould exposed and our erratic weather means there are lots of viruses floating around.

So I've been making soups, which I love to do, but at the end of what is turning out to be a long winter, my usual recipes seem unexciting.

This week on Bookmark Sunday, I am digging out my soup recipes for when you're sick of soup! Each of these recipes packs a healthy punch of flavour sure to get all your juices flowing. : )

Bookmark 9: Vegan Richa's Turkish Red Lentil Soup
If you're vegan and you haven't yet discovered Vegan Richa, you are in for a treat. Professional level recipes, gorgeous photos, and absolutely delicious vegan dishes.

Bookmark 10: Connoisseurus Veg's Green Curry Potato Soup
Sometimes you need a little carb comfort. This recipe calls for Green Curry Paste, which you can also make from scratch using another Connoisseurus Veg recipe here.

Bookmark 11: One Green Planet's Shiitake Mushroom Pho
Is there anything better than a bowl of good pho? It is worth the extra steps to make it truly fantastic. This recipe also links to a homemade vegetable broth recipe and I do recommend making your own. Check out the ingredients on your store bought broth or flavour cubes and you might be surprised. If you have time, try lightly charring your veggies and spices in the oven first for authentic pho flavour.

Bookmark 12: Quitokeeto's Coconut Yellow Split Pea Soup
This is a great way to freshen up an old favourite and Heidi's ideas for saving time in the kitchen are always original and useful.

That's it.

Happy Sunday! May you be blessed by the power of Superjuice.