Vita-Mix Cold Green Soup

Much of the country remains under heat advisories this week. Besides putting a damper on outside activities, this extreme heat makes it tougher to prepare regular healthy meals.

So we turned to our favorite Vita-Mix Lady for some help.

Lea Ann Savage demonstrates the Vita-Mix machine and seems to know everything a person could need to know when it comes to using these high tech marvels.

Lee Ann offers this recipe for Cold Green Soup on her website.

I got my inspiration from the guy selling “Savory Stews” recipes online (I bought his product) and I combined some ingredients from the Excellent Raw Marinara Sauce provided by Joanne (from the Vita-Mix User’s Yahoo Group). I make this thick and chewy (leaving some tiny bits and pieces unblended for consistency sake – you can blend more or less to suit your taste).

This is AWESOME (to me at least) 1/2 to 3/4 of a cucumber (peeled if not organic)
1-2 medium tomatoes (home grown taste best – Campari are 2nd best for flavor if you have to buy from grocery store)
Very small slice of onion
1/4 lemon (rind cut off)
2-3 pitted dates
3-5 sun dried tomatoes (I like the kind packed in olive oil – I use this brand:
1 tsp of Blend It Up Spice (the kind sold at Road Shows, if you don’t have it, substitute Sea Salt)
 4-6 fresh basil leaves (or a scant tsp. of dried basil)
 Scant tsp. of oregano.

I usually pause and blend up this mixture – eventually getting to high for just a little bit (15-30 seconds or so on high) to get the dates and sun dried tomatoes really blended.

Then I add:
1 stalk celery
1/2 to 3/4 of a red pepper
2-4 cups of Greens (you pick what kind – I like Spinach and/or Romaine the best).

I blend this just enough to get the Greens mostly chewed up (so that I can pour it into a bowl and spoon it). You can blend it into a drink if you want – it’s up to you how much you blend it.

I have a very “addictive” personality and right now – this is my current Green food addiction. (big smile)

This low calorie concoction seems just the ticket for a healthy change of pace in handling our current wilting heat wave.

Tony