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A Cleansing Soup To Reset Your Digestive System

Author:

Nicole Pisani

January 08, 2017

mbg Food Contributor

By Nicole Pisani

mbg Food Contributor

Nicole Pisani is a chef and author of The Ultimate Soup Cleanse and Magic Soup.

Photo by Stocksy

January 08, 2017

Looking for a simple way to pack in some extra vitamins, fiber, and protein while giving your digestive system a little love? The Ultimate Soup Cleanse cookbook is all about giving you the tools to easily and enjoyably reset your body with nourishing and nutritious foods—which is what we could all use a little more of this time of year, right?

The vegetables in this soup have diuretic properties that help eliminate excess water in the body, or "damp," as Chinese medicine aptly describes it.

Leek, Fennel, Celery with Lentils

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, finely chopped
1 celery heart (keep the outer stalks for stock), cut into small pieces
Inner leaves of 1 fennel bulb (keep the outer part for stock), cut into small pieces
1 cup hot vegetable stock
3⁄4 cup red lentils, rinsed
1⁄2 preserved lemon, finely chopped 2 slices rye toast, for serving

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the leek, celery, and fennel and sauté until soft, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Add the hot stock and lentils, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the preserved lemon, stir to combine, then remove the pot from the heat.

3. Ideally, allow the soup to sit overnight, as it improves as the flavors infuse. To serve, reheat and accompany with a slice of rye toast.

Excerpted from The Ultimate Soup Cleanse.