Golden Beet, Butternut and Sage Recovery Soup {AIP, GAPS, SCD, Paleo, Whole30}

I first made this soup over a year ago when I'd had gum graft surgery. The last thing I felt like doing was eating anything substantial, or that needed much work to be honest - both between the teeth and from a manual kitchen labour point of view, lol. So I existed on soups for several days afterwards. It was no hardship to be honest, because I LOVE soups.

I decided to resurrect this one from my collection and simplify it even more, so it can be made in the quickest time possible. Let's face it, prep in advance of surgery - or any procedure - or just life - is always a wise thing to do, but what about if we forget, simply have too much on our plate (pun not intended) or wake up one morning feeling distinctly under par. What are we to do then?

Well, here is when this recipe really comes into its own. I'm all about speed, especially when I don't feel so well and I'm willing to bet you're no different. So shredding your veggies in a food processor first will save on prep and cooking time. Because there's no onion or leek, or anything that needs a quick sauté beforehand, pretty much everything can be plonked into the pan together. Time saving for the win!

At first you're going to think there isn't enough liquid in the pan. But hold on there. Because you've shredded the veggies, you've now gained extra bulk in the pan. So push them down into the liquid as much as you can and once it all heats up nicely, those veggies will wilt down and create more liquid. 

What's with the beets you may wonder? These beauties are your bestest friends any day of the week but especially when the time comes for necessary TLC. Beets have the capacity for a major love-in with your liver. This precious organ, whilst it has over 500 functions, is our detoxification workhorse and, whilst it's usually very forgiving, you need to keep it on best friend terms at all times. When you've had a procedure, not only are you stressed but your liver is too. If you've ever had an anesthetic, sedative, or injection of any type, who do you think needs to process all of that for you? Yep - it's your liver! The reason why you need to buy a bunch of beets (rather than singles) is because there's a high concentration of nutrients in the leaves. You'll probably yield around 2 cups from your bunch, save the stalks for your next stir-fry.

Once you've made and served your soup, it's a good idea to stir in a scoopful of grass-fed collagen for even speedier tissue healing. If you can handle it, add some healthy fat - perhaps some MCT oil, coconut oil, or half an avocado - not to worry if the thought doesn't interest you yet. But check out this black salt - my latest addiction! How cool is this for a healing treat?

Golden Beet, Butternut and Sage Recovery Soup
Serves 6-8
Print the recipe here!

3 stalks celery
1 bunch with 3 medium golden beets (1+1/2 lb), peeled and halved
1 small fennel bulb (8 oz), fronds reserved
1 small butternut squash (1+3/4lb), cut into large pieces
4+1/2 cups chicken broth (or water, or even a mix of the two)
5 medium sage leaves
2 cups chopped beet leaves (save the stalks for your next stir-fry)
sea salt to taste
scoop of grass-fed collagen (optional)
Serving options: kelp granules, black salt, MCT oil, coconut oil, sliced avocado, fennel fronds

Run the veggies through the slicer attachment on your food processor and put into a large pan, along with a pinch of salt. Add the broth and put onto a medium heat. Bring up to a simmer, put the lid on the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes until the veggies are tender when pierced with a knife. Add the sage and beet leaves and cook a further 6-8 minutes until wilted and the veggies are completely tender.

Blend in batches until smooth. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve and freeze what you don't eat in individual portions. Stockpile, yay!