Shown here with roast chicken added! Warm Live Soups are not just for raw food purists!

This is wonderful soup for when you want something comforting, soothing, grounding, and warming… but which will enliven and nourish you rather than put you to sleep and slow you down.

And although the recipe is “raw vegan”, it’s not just for raw food purists (which I am not)… there are many health-conscious raw food enthusiasts who do include lovingly raised animal products (even meats) in their diet. And this is a great quick base for a soup which can be further enhanced with some leftover roasted chicken, or even bits of raw liver, which has made a recent resurgence in some health-loving circles.

(To wit, my dear friend and former raw foodist Lauren Michelle Kinsey! Do check out her wonderful, sexy, inspiring blog!)

TCM “Food Therapy” For Treating  Candida

This mild, comforting Warm Live Soup is made with fresh parsnips, your mushrooms of choice, and a bit of garlic… all excellent foods for those under the care of a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner who has advised them to eat more of the foods which diminish “damp” and “damp heat” conditions. These conditions are said to promote yeast and mold in the body, often leading to “candida” symptoms. I have more than one client who is under this kind of care and seeking to decrease these symptoms.

The mushrooms recommended by David Wolfe to diminish candida symptoms are “medicinal” mushrooms, with shitake and maitake being the easiest to find in one’s local grocery store, in my experience. But portabellas and criminis (which are baby portabellas) make good grabs if shitakes can’t be found. And you can always add some dried Reishi or Chaga to this recipe for a particularly potent medicinal brew!

(As with all things, do your research and consult your respected healthcare professionals when making food-related choices to turn a health crisis around. My blogging banter is just for entertainment & informational purposes only… )

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Recipe for: Warm Live “Parsnip-Mushroom” Soup

Enjoy Raw Vegan Style, or Add Roast Chicken or Raw Liver!

• 1-1/2 cups chopped parsnips, peeled
• 1 heaping cup raw mushrooms (your choice)
• 2 cups spring water
• 1 very small clove garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon quality natural salt, such as Himalayan Crystal salt
• 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil, with extra to garnish
• freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients except the mushrooms to the blender and blend until smooth. Add the mushrooms and blend just briefly, to retain good texture.

Pour into a saucepan and warm over heat. Heat until the soup is warm-to-hot to taste, but still comfortable to touch with your fingers. It doesn’t take long. Pour into bowl(s) and drizzle with olive oil.

Raw Vegan Variations: You can always make it with fresh almond milk instead of plain spring water, or add 2-3 tablespoons hemp seeds to the blender with the parsnips.
Non-Vegan Variations: Add a good handful or cup of chopped roast chicken to the soup, and a tablespoon or more of pan drippings/natural juices while warming up. You can also add chopped raw liver if that’s a part of your health regimen, in which case I would add extra salt & pepper.