Another soup for the winter. This one also has ginger, because ginger is a great detox herb that also increases circulation (as does the pinch of chili spice or cayenne) and aids in digestion. You’ll find a bowl of this soup as satisfying as the first soup in this newsletter. Of course you can feel free to add to it if you want a heartier meal. Suggestions for add-ins? Try edamame, cooked brown rice, or tofu cubes.

Shiitake mushrooms are one of my favorite superfoods. I truly can understand that men fought over them in ancient Japan. One internet site, Herbslist says that “The conquering army would take the cultivated Shiitake logs as their prize….In Asian cultures, shiitake mushrooms are not only considered a medicinal mushroom, but also a delicacy.” Today, in Japan, shiitakes are used to help fight cancer, and they are said to help lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and reduce inflammation.

You know you should eat organic because you’re worth the extra nutrition and because you want to leave the planet in better shape than you found it! Is eating organic one of your New Year’s resolutions?

Serves 6

3 C red lentils	10 C water or vegetable stock
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced	pinch chili or cayenne pepper
4 C carrots (about), diced	1 C chopped parsley
3-4 C onions, chopped	1 tsp Celtic sea salt
3-4 stalks celery, sliced	1 tsp black pepper
6-8 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

Place ingredients, except parsley and salt and pepper in a large soup kettle and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover pot, and simmer for an hour.  Just before serving, stir in parsley and add salt and pepper.