I came up with this soup recipe while I was doing my annual detox. I always start my detoxes with a 3 days green juice cleanse, but in winter I prefer to include some warm foods so decided to make a delicious green Watercress detox soup. It is highly alkaline and each powerful ingredient can help gently detoxify your system, while keeping you warm and nourished.

The ingredients for this watercress soup can vary based on what’s in season. You can modify it by using zucchini, asparagus or any other green vegetable you desire.

I chose watercress as a base for this soup due to its nutritional profile, because it contains more vitamin C than an orange, more calcium than milk, more iron than spinach and more folate than bananas.

Watercress is also high in vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus which are all required for a healthy body.

I also included my other green favourite veggie, broccoli. I couldn’t leave out this guy, given its anti-inflammatory benefits, high carotenoid and vitamin K content. Broccoli is also a powerful detoxifyer, which can help the liver clearing excess oestrogen from the body. Broccoli also contains a substance called indole-3-carbinol, which supports one of the detoxification pathways to clear oestrogen.

Try to use as many organic ingredients as possible in this Watercress soup for minimum pesticide residue and maximum detox benefits.

Ingredients: (makes 4)

• 1 bunch organic watercress, chopped
• 1 head of organic broccoli, diced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, pressed
• 700ml filtered water
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• spices: paprika, tumeric, rock salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Herbamare herb seasoning or 1 cube org. vegetable boullion
• pinch cayenne pepper
• Topping options: chopped parsley, coriander, dukkah, hemp seeds, pine nuts or 1 tbsp olive oil.

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the onions.
2. Add in garlic, and diced broccoli and sauté for 5-10 minutes (or until broccoli is soft).
3. Add watercress and spices and sauté for another 5 minutes, then fill with the water.
4. Bring to the boil and a simmer for 5 more minutes.
5. When all the veggies are cooked through blend with a hand blender or transfer to a high power blender like the Vitamix.
6. Blend together, adjust to the and serve.