What can you tell us about your new book Soupelina's Soup Cleanse?
I'm so excited for people to read the book, get inspired and start cooking soups, the Soupelina way. I cook my soups a bit differently than most people and can't wait to share my soup making with the world. The book has over 50 delicious and healing recipes, and gorgeous photos, shot by Pär Bengtsson...and I know the photos alone will make anyone lust for those soups. I wanted to make sure we have real photos of every soup and ingredients, because when I was learning to cook I would never attempt a dish without a photo. So, whether you follow the cleanse or just need some new healthy and lip-smacking delicious soup ideas to add to your weekly arsenal, I'm hoping this will be the book you'll want to keep on your kitchen counter.
Soupelina's Soup Cleanse
Why are soups so healing for the body?
Soup is soul food. I love asking people what soup means to them and everyone associates soup with love, comfort, cozy times with their families, mothers and grandmas. Soup heals you emotionally, not only because you know it's good for you but also because you have to sit down and sip soup...it's a bit of a ritual and that alone, eliminates stress. Nutritionally, soups give you more digestible nutrients, more fiber and they also nourish you, satisfy you and soothe you, especially during a cleanse.
Scientists at Purdue University did an interesting experiment on soup in 2004: they heated up apple juice and served it to people in a bowl with a spoon and called it "apple soup"…then they served the same people the same apple juice cold in a glass. People said they felt fuller and more satisfied with apple soup than they were with apple juice.
I created Soupelina's Soup Cleanse to give people an opportunity to infuse their bodies with nutrients, give them extra energy we all need, especially at this time of the year, after the holidays…and also to provide fiber, improve digestion, sharpen their mind and reduce inflammation. And of course, to keep people warm, full and loved. Soup is that powerful!
You use coconut oil in a lot of your recipes so why choose this over olive or rapeseed oil?
I love to load my soups with as many nutrients, minerals and enzymes as possible. Soupelina soups have soup-er powers and they have to have the most goodness I can include. Coconut oil is a superfood because of Lauric Acid which breaks down into a compound called Monolaurin in the body (it's a fat that can be found in breast milk, and we all know how wonderful that is.) Both Lauric Acid and Monolaurin have anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, thus protecting us against all kinds of illnesses. Besides, it's the perfect oil for high-heat cooking unlike other oils: coconut oil does really well with heat, without destroying any of its medicinal properties. So, it makes sense to cook with coconut oil to boost the metabolism and reduce inflammation.
You also use filtered water- so what are the benefits of using this over tap water?
Tap water is scary. I don't like using water that has been chlorinated and contains chemical deposits that are downright toxic for both cooking and washing your veggies. Because what's the point of healing soups if you don't cook them in the best water possible? I like to cook with filtered, purified or spring water. You will see that the soups will also taste better. Water is very important!
There is a lot of debate over cooked veggie vs raw veggies- so how can cooking them still be beneficial for the body? Are there are drawbacks of eating raw food?
I love raw veggies but soups are an entirely different story. How many of us are able to eat two bags of spinach? Or a whole bunch of kale? When you cook veggies, you eat more veggies…one bowl of soup can be two bags of spinach! Amazing, isn't it? I talk about it in my book…cooking veggies makes them easier to digest because it softens their fibers. You can't boil veggies though, you have to carefully simmer them in order to preserve the most vitamins and help them release the minerals. You have to also know your veggies…not all are good raw. Asparagus, for example, only awakens its cancer-fighting potential if cooked. Same with tomatoes. The potassium in mushrooms increases with cooking, cooked spinach helps you absorb more of its calcium, iron and magnesium. In fact, a 2008 report in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, showed that cooking preserves antioxidants in vegetables, such as carotenoids and ferulic acid. Combining certain veggies with specific spices and herbs creates an even more powerful potion, and that's what heals you. Cooking veggies also balances doshas if you follow Ayurveda, cooked veggies have more yang…that's according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, plus cooked veggies have less bacteria. Did I convince you to cook your veggies?
What is your favourite recipe from the book?
I have so many! Every single recipe came from my soul, it's like they are my kids, it's hard to pick a favorite. That said, I am in love with I Can't Believe It's Butternut…there's something soothing and comforting about that soup; Make 'Shroom For Me is an ode to mushrooms and I love them so much; And The Beet Goes On reminds me of my childhood; The Fennel Hurrah feels like Paris every time I eat it; Lemongrass Cleansing Broth is a flavor bomb that literally makes me look at my photos from Thailand that I have hanging in my living room. I can go on and on… I do tell stories about every soup in the book, so you gotta check them out.
When did you discover the health benefits of soup?
I have always loved soup but I didn't realize it had medicinal and healing properties until 2009. Soups became my magic medicine but also a form of self-love and comfort when I changed the way I eat while healing from breast cancer. I knew that chemotherapy was not the route I wanted to take and decided to use food as medicine instead. When I was researching what I needed to boost my immunity to change the epigenetic expression of my genes, I was coming across all these herbs and spices I didn't know anything about. Juicing was not going to work long-term because I couldn't use as many veggies, spices and herbs, plus all the mushrooms I had to have, in them. So I started creating soups and loading them with everything I needed to have in them. My mom is a chemical engineer, she spent decades conducting experiments with veggies and fruits at the Academy of Sciences…she is also a great cook, so I would ask her about ways to mix spices and herbs. I also studied herbal encyclopedias to understand the medicinal properties of every ingredient I used. I was going to heal and I did. The soups I created were not what you would find anywhere, they are truly healing potions.
What are your thoughts on organic veg? Do we need to spend so much more on our greens?
Buying organic is very important! Organic means that your food was grown without pesticides and chemical fertilizers, artificial ripening agents, preservatives, genetic modifications, and radiation. So many veggies can be cancer-causing if not bought organic. I like to quote science and research, and according to The Environmental Working Group, almost all, a whopping 98% of all conventional produce is contaminated with cancer-causing pesticides. Why take that risk? I say you pay now or you pay later. When people get sick, it costs a fortune to get treatments, so why not prevent the illnesses and diseases in the first place. Prevention is the key and organic veggies are worth the price.
Please tell us when you decide to work on a book and the process of putting it all together.
Everything Soupelina-related came together organically, including the book. I was approached by several agents to write a book. After much soul searching, I realized that I had to because I had a responsibility to share with the world what helped me heal. Soup has been good to me. I hope it will do as much for everyone who reads the book and embarks on the soup lifestyle.
What is next for you?
I'm on a mission to make the world a healthier place, one bowl of soup at a time. Watching Soupelina grow is exciting and I'm proud to be a voice in the wellness revolution that I know will change the world and our health.