This week on More Good Day Oregon, I made something that might just be a life-saving soup. For real.
Ooooooh, what is it? you might be saying.
Does the soup contain a special supplement?
A newly discovered superfood?
Or an exotic mushroom extract?
Also — is it expensive?
Guess what? The answer to these questions is no, no, no… and no!
And here's the good news…
This potentially life-saving soup is:
… Inexpensive and easy to make.
… Creamy and delicious, without using dairy or gluten or cholesterol laden animal products.
… and it includes a special ingredient that could decrease cancer risk.
Yes, you read right: decrease cancer risk!
The every day ingredient that can reduce cancer risk
In fact, this special ingredient has been the focus of many scientific studies, which have determined that using this ingredient regularly may help lower the risk of all kinds of cancer, including:
- Mouth
- Throat
- Lung
- Breast
- Ovarian
- Endometrial
- Cervical
- Prostate
In addition, the raw version of this ingredient may also help bladder cancer survival. And as if that wasn't enough, our mystery ingredient may even protect against DNA damage, affect gene expression, and boost liver function (Source: Nutritionfacts.org).
So what's this magical mystery ingredient?
Wait for it…. Broccoli!
Yep — plain old, every day, can-buy-it-everywhere, kind-of-boring broccoli.
Broccoli's a vegetable I like to think as the original superfood, one that has been overshadowed in recent years by “rival” superfoods such as kale, goji berries, and maca powder.
And even though those other hipster superfoods are fun to use and can also be part of a healing and anti-inflammatory diet, broccoli still reigns queen (or king — your choice) when it comes to keeping diseases from developing in the body.
My born-again broccoli lover story
I'll admit: broccoli and I got off to a very bad start.
When I was a kid back in the 70s, a yummy vegetable recipe — as well as access to great produce — was pretty hard to come by.
The broccoli of my childhood wasn't roasted into nutty deliciousness. Nor was it thrown into a stir fry, teriyaki style.
No such luck.
The broccoli of my youth was boiled.
And mushy.
And so terrible that at dinnertime, I'd try to slip it to my dog under the dining room table. But even she wouldn't eat it.
Let's just say that broccoli and I didn't have much to say to each other until decades later, when we met at — of all places — a California Pizza Kitchen by my office. A friend recommended the fusilli with broccoli and sun dried tomatoes, and I ordered it with great skepticism.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I loved the dish — and the broccoli too!
It's okay if you're still picky about broccoli
Now, I don't love aaaaaalll broccoli preparations. I'm still pretty picky in that department.
I don't love it raw. I find it hard to digest that way… plus all those floret bits in your teeth! No thank you.
And I still don't like it soft. I mean, who does right? But that's okay because it's healthier when it's crisp-tender anyway. More nutrients that way.
So the point of this whole story is to say that if you're on the fence about broccoli — please give it another try.
The right preparation can make a huge difference.
Maybe you'd like to try a small amount of broccoli in a stir fry with your favorite sauce.
Or add some roasted broccoli to a buddha bowl. Again, with a great sauce.
Or steam it up and drizzle on some of my Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce.
Heck! I don't care if you have to try it fried up tempura style at first. At least that would help you and broccoli get on friendlier terms. You can fine-tune the details (ie. not frying) after you two become a regular thing.
The cheap, easy to make, family-friendly soup that might save your life
Which brings me back to the soup that could save your life.
This one's a winner, friend.
I'm not kidding. It's easy to make. And inexpensive. And it works for most picky eaters. Like my son, who would be perfectly happy to live on pasta, berries, and saltine crackers.
Plus, this soup is chock-full of cancer-fighting, inflammation-reducing broccoli.
Here's the thing — I wish we all could eat more of this soup, and more broccoli in general.
Because cancer is all around us. Friends, family. People we love.
According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime probability of being diagnosed with cancer is 39.7% for men and 37.6% for women, which is a little more than 1 in 3.
1 in 3.
I didn't even like typing that, it's so scary.
So let's all do ourselves a favor and get more broccoli and other veggies and berries and beans and other healthy whole foods onto our plate so we can keep this party going as long as possible.
Or course, eating healthy isn't a guarantee for a long and healthy life.
But it can certainly tip the odds in our favor.
And sometimes it can be as simple as making soup for dinner.
To get the recipe, just click here, or on the green box below.
If you have any questions along the way, connect with me on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Bonus! Get your free Healthy Meal Planning and Prep Guide
Life is busy, and weekends can be super busy, whether you’re doing errands, having fun, or dedicating your entire weekend to youth sports LOL.
However, if you make the time for meal prep, you won’t regret it. Especially when you realize it takes you only 15 minutes to make dinner during the week, instead of the usual 30-60.
Here’s even more good news: I created a new freebie for you! It’s my downloadable and totally printable Healthy Meal Prep Guide.
Inside, you’ll find more details about my approach, as well as:
- Shopping and meal prep strategies.
- A blank meal planning template.
- Sample meal plans.
- Downloadable and printable shopping list.
- Weekend prep session checklist.
Ready to download the guide?
Great!
Just click here to get your Healthy Meal Prep Guide.