How to: Five-Minute Breakfast Soup

Breakfast soup may seem like an unconventional choice, but this tutorial for Five-Minute Breakfast Soup will turn you into a breakfast-soup-believer! You can throw together a satisfying, deeply nourishing soup packed with greens, veggies, potatoes, meat, or eggs and adapted to fit any flavor profile in just five minutes. Jump to tutorial.

Friends, let me tell you something…breakfast soup is the new green smoothie. I know the concept may sound odd, but hear me out: breakfast soup can be just about anything you want it to be – packed with greens, roasted veggies, potatoes, fresh herbs, noodles, meat, or eggs and adapted to fit any flavor profile.

Soup may not be a typical breakfast in the states, but all over the world different soups + stews are commonplace at the breakfast table. Whether it’s changua in Colombia, menudo in Mexico, miso in Japan, congee in China, or Mohinga, a common pho-like street food eaten for breakfast in Myanmar, other cultures know that soup delivers essential nutrients and can be make a wonderfully nourishing breakfast.

Soup is known to support digestion and boost energy levels, all while boosting your veggie & nutrient intake for the day. It’s like the cold weather version of a green smoothie and I am here for it.

You may be thinking that having soup for breakfast may seem like a great idea in fall + winter, but you can also have soup for breakfast in the summer; if you don’t feel like hot soup in the summer months, you can try refreshing chilled soup recipes like gazpacho.

What we’re not doing: making a big batch of one kind of soup and eating that throughout the week. Instead, we’re keeping things simple + exciting by making a single serving of breakfast soup from pre-prepped or leftover ingredients we already have on hand in about 5-10 minutes.

The base of a quick + easy breakfast soup is good quality broth or stock. Then I like to incorporate tons of aromatics, greens and pre-cooked vegetables with leftover meat or a soft-boiled egg. The best part? You can mix and match whatever your favorites are – there are no rules.

Aromatics such as ginger, garlic, and turmeric provide flavor + nutrients, umami ingredients like tamari, miso, or fish sauce provide an instant flavor bomb, and pre-cooked or quick cooking greens, veggies, meat or eggs provide nourishment + calories and fresh herbs, bean sprouts, or a squeeze of citrus add brightness.

STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO: FIVE-MINUTE BREAKFAST SOUP

STEP 1: AROMATICS

In a small saucepan, start by sautéing 1-2 tablespoons aromatics like fresh, minced garlic, ginger, turmeric, peppers, onion, leeks or shallots in little olive oil until soft + fragrant. Aromatics will deliver deep, rounded flavor + aroma to your breakfast soup when you sweat them a bit before adding the broth.

STEP 2: BROTH BASE

Next, poor in about 2 cups of the broth of your choice. The base of a quick + easy breakfast soup is good quality broth or stock. You can make your own or buy a high-quality broth from your local or online grocery store [I like Bonafide Provisions, Thrive Market, or Nona Lima broths]. The sky is the limit here — you can use chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, pork, bison, mushroom or vegetable broth as your base.

STEP 3: MIX-INS

Add umami to your soup with mix-ins like tamari, chickpea miso, or fish sauce provide depth and an instant flavor bomb. You can also add sambal chili paste, tomato paste, harissa, pesto, salsa verde, or ghee, butter, or coconut milk for a creamier soup. If your broth is on the richer side, add a splash of vinegar, lemon or lime juice to bring some brightness + balance.

STEP 4: PROTEIN

Add 4-5 ounces of pre-cooked protein or 1-2 soft boiled eggs. I usually opt for leftover shredded beef or chicken and/or a soft-boiled egg in my breakfast soup but you can do any variation of pre-cooked shredded or ground chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, pork, bison, or even bacon, sausage, or eggs for the ultimate breakfast vibe.

You can also poach an egg or two in the broth before adding additional ingredients. Simply bring the broth to a simmer. The broth should be between 190-195 degrees F since the eggs will bring the water temp down to the optimal spot. Create a vortex of broth with a spoon, crack the egg over a fine mesh sieve placed over a small bowl and gently slide it into the middle of the vortex directly from the sieve. Set a timer for 3 minutes, remove the egg from the broth using a slotted spoon, and set aside until the rest of your breakfast soup is prepared. Before serving, add poached egg and the soup will rewarm the egg. If you’re new to poached eggs, make sure to read through my how-to here.

STEP 5: GREENS + VEG + LEGUMES

Add 1-2 cups of greens, quick-cooking/leftover veggies or legumes for filling nutrients, flavor, and texture. This is great opportunity to use up those random greens leftover in your fridge! I typically use pre-chopped or shredded kale or cabbage for a quick add-in. You can opt for spinach, collards, chard, arugula or mustard greens. I also love adding colorful veggies like sautéed peppers, mushrooms, cabbage or roasted bok choy, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, beets or tomatoes. Pre-cooked or canned lentils, chickpeas, cannellini beans or other legumes are also a wonderful addition to breakfast soup.

STEP 6: TOPPINGS

Get crazy with your garnish, paying special attention to flavor + texture! I love to add extra fat + crunch in this last step.

• Add more greens: broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, pea shoots, micro-greens, scallions, and fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, tarragon, parsley or mint add a great nutritional punch and a ton of fresh flavor + texture.

• Add extra fat + texture: olive oil, sesame oil, avocado, crumbled feta or cotija cheese, fresh grated parmesan, yogurt or sour cream add a boost of healthy fat and a creamier texture. For a little crunch + fiber, add some pine nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Want next level crunch + flavor? Add homemade croutons, crispy prosciutto or bacon, parmesan crisps, tortilla chips, fresh sauerkraut or pickled veggies.

• Season it up: top with flavored or smoked salt, tajin, gomasio, or furikake to add a nice finishing flavor

SOME OF MY FAVORITE COMBINATIONS

ITALIAN MEATBALL SOUP: shallot or garlic, leeks, beef broth, leftover meatballs, lemon juice, shredded kale, grated carrots

BROTHY ROASTED TOMATO + AVOCADO SOUP: shallot or onion, jalapeño, chicken broth, salsa verde, roasted grape tomatoes, avocado, soft-boiled or poached egg, fresh cilantro, dill, and scallions

EGG & MISO BREAKFAST SOUP: ginger, pork broth, chickpea miso, shiitake and beech mushrooms, spinach, soft-boiled or poached egg, scallions

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how to: five-minute breakfast soup

Breakfast soup may seem like an unconventional choice, but this tutorial for Five-Minute Breakfast Soup will turn you into a breakfast-soup-believer! You can throw together a satisfying, deeply nourishing soup packed with greens, veggies, potatoes, meat, or eggs and adapted to fit any flavor profile in just five minutes.

STEP 1: AROMATICS

In a small saucepan, start by sautéing 1-2 tablespoons of aromatics like fresh, minced garlic, ginger, turmeric, peppers, onion, leeks or shallots in little olive oil until soft + fragrant. Aromatics will deliver deep, rounded flavor + aroma to your breakfast soup when you sweat them a bit before adding the broth.

STEP 2: BROTH BASE

Next, poor in about 2 cups of the broth of your choice. The base of a quick + easy breakfast soup is good quality broth or stock. You can make your own or buy a high-quality broth from your local or online grocery store [I like Bonafide Provisions, Thrive Market, or Nona Lima broths]. The sky is the limit here — you can use chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, pork, bison, mushroom or vegetable broth as your base.

STEP 3: MIX-INS

Add umami to your soup with mix-ins like tamari, chickpea miso, or fish sauce provide depth and an instant flavor bomb. You can also add sambal chili paste, tomato paste, harissa, pesto, salsa verde, or ghee, butter, or coconut milk for a creamier soup. If your broth is on the richer side, add a splash of vinegar, lemon or lime juice to bring some brightness + balance.

STEP 4: PROTEIN

Add 4-5 ounces of pre-cooked protein or 1-2 soft boiled eggs. I usually opt for leftover shredded beef or chicken and/or a soft-boiled egg in my breakfast soup but you can do any variation of pre-cooked shredded or ground chicken, beef, lamb, turkey, pork, bison, or even bacon, sausage, or eggs for the ultimate breakfast vibe.

You can also poach an egg or two in the broth before adding additional ingredients. Simply bring the broth to a simmer. The broth should be between 190-195 degrees F since the eggs will bring the water temp down to the optimal spot. Create a vortex of broth with a spoon, crack the egg over a fine mesh sieve placed over a small bowl and gently slide it into the middle of the vortex directly from the sieve. Set a timer for 3 minutes, remove the egg from the broth using a slotted spoon, and set aside until the rest of your breakfast soup is prepared. Before serving, add poached egg and the soup will rewarm the egg. If you’re new to poached eggs, make sure to read through my how-to here.

STEP 5: GREENS + VEG + LEGUMES

Add 1-2 cups of greens, quick-cooking/leftover veggies or legumes for filling nutrients, flavor, and texture. This is great opportunity to use up those random greens leftover in your fridge! I typically use pre-chopped or shredded kale or cabbage for a quick add-in. You can opt for spinach, collards, chard, arugula or mustard greens. I also love adding colorful veggies like sautéed peppers, mushrooms, cabbage or roasted bok choy, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, beets or tomatoes. Pre-cooked or canned lentils, chickpeas, cannellini beans or other legumes are also a wonderful addition to breakfast soup.

STEP 6: TOPPINGS

Get crazy with your garnish, paying special attention to flavor + texture! I love to add extra fat + crunch in this last step.

• Add more greens: broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, pea shoots, micro-greens, scallions, and fresh herbs like cilantro, basil, tarragon, parsley or mint add a great nutritional punch and a ton of fresh flavor + texture.

• Add extra fat + texture: olive oil, sesame oil, avocado, crumbled feta or cotija cheese, fresh grated parmesan, yogurt or sour cream add a boost of healthy fat and a creamier texture. For a little crunch + fiber, add some pine nuts, sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Want next level crunch + flavor? Add homemade croutons, crispy prosciutto or bacon, parmesan crisps, tortilla chips, fresh sauerkraut or pickled veggies.

• Season it up: top with flavored or smoked salt, tajin, gomasio, or furikake to add a nice finishing flavor

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Don't forget to tag us @thenorthwestkitchen on Instagram when you use this tutorial to dream up a delicious breakfast soup!

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How to: Bone Broth + Common Mistakes [Instant Pot & Stovetop Method]

Homemade Bone Broth is the unsung hero of home kitchens across the world. Use this broth as a base for a quick weeknight soup, in sauces or braises, or drink it straight from a mug. The added step of roasting the bones develops rich, long-cooked flavor that will transform almost any dish into one that’s exponentially more delicious. Simple + doable for any home cook! Jump to recipe.

A great bone broth is a home chef’s secret weapon. There’s a reason that every restaurant makes it daily and why every home cook should keep a few quarts in the freezer. Keeping broth on hand means access to instant flavor for any dish. Add meat, veggies, and noodles and you have an instantly satisfying soup. Drink it straight from a mug with fresh grated garlic + ginger for a bit of nourishment. Use it as a cooking liquid for grains or legumes, or as a flavorful base for sauces, soups, and braises. Taking the time to create a great base of flavor is actually the ultimate shortcut, and sometimes it doesn’t take that long at all — especially when you use a pressure cooker.

Below, I’ll walk you through both a stovetop and Instant Pot [pressure cooker] method as well as common mistakes you may be making. I prefer the Instant Pot method for ease and speed, but either method produce a rich, flavorful broth that can be used for a myriad of applications.

COMMON MISTAKES YOU MIGHT BE MAKING:

Not hanging on to your kitchen scraps: every professional chef out there has a freezer full of root ends of onions, scallion butts, leafy tops and root ends of celery, and herb stems stowed away in their freezer. Not only is this a great way to reduce food waste, it’s an opportunity to impart flavor with something you would have otherwise tossed out [or composted]. I recommend keeping a large freezer bag [I like these half-gallon size reusable Stasher bags] on hand for adding some choice vegetable scraps to throughout the week for a flavorful weekend broth. I wouldn’t both saving the carrots unless you’re using them for a veggie stock.

Skipping the blanching step: If you’ve ever had a bone broth that tastes a bit funky, this is likely the culprit. Before roasting and simmering your bones, cover the bones with cold water, bring to a boil, and let them cook at an aggressive simmer for about 20 minutes before draining and roasting. If you are using the Instant Pot method below, you can do this using the sauté setting — see directions below.

Not roasting the bones: repeat after me, “I will always roast my bones.” While roasting your bones isn’t a required step in putting together a simple broth, it will most certainly give your broth a richer, more long-cooked flavor. Roasting the bones browns and caramelizes them, lending to tons of flavor.

Adding too much stuff to your broth: a good broth doesn’t need a bunch of add-ins. I recommend a few aromatics like fresh herbs/herb stems, onion ends, garlic, black peppercorns, and plenty of sea salt. Pro tip: keep the carrots out unless you want a sweeter broth. Keep the flavor focused and concentrated will allow your broth to fit a myriad of applications.

Letting the finished broth cool slowly: In professional kitchens, broth chilling is serious business. Letting your broth cool slowly means the potential for harmful bacteria to grow. Once you've strained out the bones + other bits, transfer your broth to a shallow and wide container, where it will lose heat more rapidly. You can even add a few cups of ice to speed up the process — don't worry about the ice diluting the broth; it's so intensely flavored that the ice won't drastically impact the flavor. Whatever you do, don't put hot broth in the fridge — it will invite bacterial growth almost immediately and raise the temperature of the fridge.

Adding vinegar to your broth: Don’t worry, I was making this mistake for years! It was widely accepted for some time that apple cider vinegar would aid in pulling the mineral content out of the bones, making a more nutrient dense broth. After attending this talk by Dr. Kayla Daniels at the Ancestral Health Symposium in 2014, I stopped using vinegar in my bone broth and the flavor is much improved.

Freezing broth in jars instead of a silicone mold/ice tray: After making a batch of broth, I tend to reserve as much broth as I need for cooking/drinking purposes over the course of 4 or 5 days and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Whatever’s left gets frozen in a silicone mold and transferred to a freezer bag. The broth cubes freeze in about 6 hours and will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months, making it a cinch to take one out when you need broth for a recipe. Each block is also the perfect amount to defrost for a quick mug of broth or you can defrost two blocks for an individual serving of soup.

Now that you know how to avoid these common mistakes, let’s get to it!

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how to: bone broth

Homemade Bone Broth is the unsung hero of home kitchens across the world. Use this broth as a base for a quick weeknight soup, in sauces or braises, or drink it straight from a mug. The added step of roasting the bones develops rich, long-cooked flavor that will transform almost any dish into one that’s exponentially more delicious. Simple + doable for any home cook!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 pounds beef bones (I like a mix of marrow, knuckle, and oxtail)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 onion root ends with skin, 1 celery root end + leafy top, 1 bunch of herb stems (such as parsley, cilantro, rosemary, and/or thyme)
• 2 garlic cloves or 1 bunch scallion ends
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Blanch your bones: place bones in large stock pot or instant pot insert and cover the bones with cold water, bring to a boil, and let them cook at an aggressive simmer for about 20 minutes (if you're using the Instant Pot method, simply use the sauté setting to bring to a rolling boil). While the bones cook, skim any brown foam that rises to the top with a slotted spoon. Drain the bones and pat dry.

3. Place bones on a rimmed baking sheet and coat evenly with olive oil and a bit of salt. Roast until bones are crispy and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

STOVETOP METHOD

4. Place roasted bones, onion, celery, herbs, garlic or scallions, bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and 6 quarts cold water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Turn heat down to medium-low for a gentle simmer and set a lid on top, leaving a bit of room for venting. Simmer, stirring and skimming every 2 hours or so for 6-12 hours. As the broth cooks, edge heat down to low and add water as needed.

INSTANT POT METHOD:

4. Place roasted bones, onion, celery, herbs, garlic or scallions, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt in Instant Pot insert. Add cold water to the max fill line (no more than 2/3 of the way up the pot). Secure the lid and set vent to sealing. Cook at high pressure for 3 hours. Allow broth to naturally release, do not adjust the steam valve. This will take about 90 minutes.

STRAIN & STORE:

5. Strain out & discard the bones + other bits using a fine mesh seive into a shallow and wide container, where it will lose heat more rapidly.
6. Fill a sink or basin with ice water and place your container of broth in the ice bath. Stir regularly until the broth is cooled to about 50°F, about 15-20 minutes. Transfer the broth to airtight containers or jars. Refrigerate or allow broth to chill in the fridge overnight and freeze the following day.

NOTES:

• You can use this recipe with any mix of beef, pork, or chicken bones.
• Broth can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 6 months. I tend to reserve as much broth as I need for cooking/drinking purposes over the course of 4 or 5 days and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Whatever’s left gets frozen in a silicone mold like this one and transferred to a freezer bag. The broth cubes freeze in about 6 hours and will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months, making it a cinch to take one out when you need broth for a recipe. Each block is also the perfect amount to defrost for a quick mug of broth or individual serving of soup.

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Ginger Green Smoothie

This Ginger Green Smoothie is made with frozen greens, lemon, fresh ginger, and boosted with moringa, golden flax, maca, and goat milk protein. It’s the perfect not-so-sweet, refreshing green smoothie! Jump to recipe.

You know that phrase “once you know, you can unknow” that I use so often? Smoothies fall into that category for me. When I went into my nutritional therapy program back in 2013 — I was convinced that a green smoothie packed with frozen fruit was one of the healthiest breakfast options in front of me. What I didn’t know? Fruit laden smoothies aren’t necessarily great for someone with a history of blood sugar issues and no matter how lovely the ingredients, if you’re not chewing your food, you’re not releasing salivary amylase [the enzyme that helps you break down carbohydrates and triggers the cascade of digestion].

My favorite smoothie hack? Add some crunchy goodness to the top of your smoothie that compliment the flavor and take a few bites before you dive in with your reusable straw! My favorite cruncheis for this ginger green smoothie are sliced blanched almonds and hemp seeds!

This Ginger Green Smoothie is the first smoothie recipe I tackled when this new Vitamix hit my doorstep and it’s been on repeat ever since! It’s super refreshing + detoxifying and packed with protein. With my family history of blood sugar + metabolic issues, I always opt for a low sugar option. Fruit-laden smoothies tend to spike my blood sugar and leave me feeling like dirt — so you best believe this recipe is packed with healthy fat, fiber, and protein to support digestion + blood sugar balance.

I boosted the nutrient density of this smoothie by adding pasture-raised goat whey protein [a mouthful, I know], gelatinized maca, golden flax, and moringa. I personally don’t tolerate traditional cow’s milk whey protein but I do really well with goat milk whey protein and it’s packed with amino acids for cellular repair + growth and glutathione production.

The moringa plant is native to Africa & Asia and it’s an excellent source of Vitamin A, Potassium, Calcium, and Vitamin C. It’s also a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, protects & nourishes skin, and slows aging. Note: Moringa can have laxative effects in large quantities, so don’t overdo it in this smoothie!

My tips for thick, creamy, and well-balanced smoothies:

• Use a high power blender! If you’ve never owned a high power blending like a Vitamix — you truly don’t know what you’re missing. It has truly transformed the texture of my smoothies and made blending so much more efficient. I have the Explorian E320 from Costco — it’s a great, budget-friendly option for those of us who don’t want to spend $700+ on our first high-speed blender and it comes with a 7-year warranty.

• For easier blending, start with your liquid, then add frozen veggies & fruit, then finish with boosts, powders, and fiber.

• Add some healthy fat and a complete protein to create a balanced meal — I like this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra. Collagen, however good for your hair, skin, and gut is more of a nutrient boost than a complete protein since it doesn’t have a full amino acid profile.

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GINGER GREEN SMOOTHIE

This Ginger Green Smoothie is made with frozen greens, lemon, fresh ginger, and boosted with moringa, golden flax, maca, and goat milk protein. It’s the perfect not-so-sweet, refreshing green smoothie!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)*

• juice of 1/2 lemon

• ½ frozen banana* OR 3-4 drops stevia extra & 4 ice cubes

• 1 cup frozen chopped greens like spinach or kale

• 1 inch peeled fresh ginger, chopped

• 2 scoops Mt. Capra Goat Whey Protein or protein of choice

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• 1 teaspoon maca

• pinch of sea salt

• sprinkle with sliced blanched almonds & hemp seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Starting with the almond milk + lemon juice first, add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy — this may take a moment, so be patient!
3. Pour into your favorite bowl or cup, top with sliced blanched almonds & hemp seeds, and enjoy!

*NOTES:

• Start with 1½ cup milk (if using frozen bananas) and increase as needed.
• If you don't have frozen bananas on hand, just use fresh bananas, 4 ice cubes and about 1 cup almond milk instead, adding more as needed.
• I use this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra

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Roasted Cauliflower Hummus

This Roasted Cauliflower Hummus is every bit as smooth, creamy, and flavorful as the real deal. It’s also keto-friendly and a fantastic way to sneak more veggies into your day. Jump to recipe.

Cauliflower has taken many false forms over the years as we attempt to “low-carb” everything to death. Most folks are just tired of hearing yet another way they can manipulate the vegetable into being something it’s not. One of the reasons cauliflower is beloved by many is how versatile it really is but let’s be honest — cauliflower is a lousy substitute for mashed potatoes and an even lousier substitute for pizza crust [don’t even get me started].  

While I may not get the cauliflower craze, here’s what I do get — navigating food intolerances. Which, for me, include legumes and garlic. Yep, I said it. Let us all grieve together…

My conundrum? I love hummus — my college roommate got me hooked on it many years ago after she returned from a trip to Israel. We’d pop over to her place for a snack in between classes and she’d spread hummus on bread and top it with cheese and place it in the toaster oven until the cheese was just melted. I have no idea what she called it, but it was damn delicious.

When I figured out my food intolerances many years ago, I realized hummus and I would have to part ways and to say their was a mourning process would be an understatement. Enter cauliflower.

This Roasted Cauliflower Hummus is a cauliflower cameo I can get into.

It’s not weird to dip your vegetables in vegetables right? I hope not, because this dip is every bit as smooth, creamy, and flavorful as the real deal.

You’ll notice the ingredients list in this roasted cauliflower hummus are very similar to traditional hummus — including lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and salt. It’s as simple as replacing the chickpeas with the roasted cauliflower and adding a little extra punch with one of my favorite seasonings - za’atar.

If you aren’t familiar, za’atar is a Middle Eastern Spice mixture made up of thyme, oregano, sesame seeds, sumac, and sea salt. It’s fragrant, herbal, and tangy — and you’re going to want to put it on everything. I picked up this za’atar blend from Amazon since it’s not available at my local grocery store but you can also make a batch yourself by combining:

• 2 tablespoons ground thyme [if using regular dried thyme, double the amount]

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

• 2 teaspoons sumac

• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Store in an airtight container.

My tips for smooth & creamy hummus:

• Use a high power blender! If you’ve never owned a high power blending like a Vitamix — you truly don’t know what you’re missing. I have the Explorian E320 from Costco — it’s a great, budget-friendly option for those of us who don’t want to spend $700+ on our first high-speed blender and it comes with a 7-year warranty.

• For easier blending, start with liquid then add everything else.

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roasted cauliflower hummus

This Roasted Cauliflower Hummus is every bit as smooth, creamy, and flavorful as the real deal. It’s also keto-friendly and a fantastic way to sneak more veggies into your day.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into small pieces
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon za'atar
• 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, divided
• 2 green onions
• 1/3 cup tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2-1 cup water
• parsley, olive oil, and za'atar for garnish
• crackers or flat bread and fresh veggies for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower on sheet pan, drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil, top with za'atar, and 1 teaspoon sea salt and toss to combine. [I know this seems like a lot of oil but trust me - the oil will soak up all of the roasted cauliflower bits and seasonings.]

2. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven and cool.

3. Pour 1/2 cup water into a high speed blender or food processor. Then add roasted cauliflower [make sure to pour in all that glorious olive oil], green onions, tahini, lemon juice, remiaining salt. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Add water as needed for a thinner consistency or if it's not blending easily.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with olive oil, za'atar, and chopped parsley. Serve with crackers or flatbread and fresh veggies.

NOTES:

• Start with 1/2 cup water and increase as needed to reach your desired consistency.

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Don't forget to tag us @thenorthwestkitchen on Instagram when you make our Roasted Cauliflower Hummus!

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Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie

This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie is made with banana, cacao, tahini and boosted with maca, collagen, mushroom coffee. Not only is this smoothie packed with nutrients, it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon! Jump to recipe.

You know that phrase “once you know, you can unknow” that I use so often? Smoothies fall into that category for me. When I went into my nutritional therapy program back in 2013 — I was convinced that a green smoothie packed with frozen fruit was one of the healthiest breakfast options in front of me. What I didn’t know? Fruit laden smoothies aren’t necessarily great for someone with a history of blood sugar issues and no matter how lovely the ingredients, if you’re not chewing your food, you’re not releasing salivary amylase [the enzyme that helps you break down carbohydrates and triggers the cascade of digestion].

My favorite smoothie hack? Add some crunchy goodness to the top of your smoothie that compliment the flavor and take a few bites before you dive in with your reusable straw!

This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie has all the flavor you’d expect without a ton of sugar. With my family history of blood sugar + metabolic issues, I always opt for a low sugar option. Fruit-laden smoothies tend to spike my blood sugar and leave me feeling like dirt — so you best believe this recipe is packed with healthy fat, fiber, and protein to support digestion + blood sugar balance.

I boosted the nutrient density of this smoothie by adding raw cacao, gelatinized maca, Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides, beef protein isolate and Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee! This particular mushroom coffee blend from Four Sigmatic has Lion's Mane and Chaga as well as the high quality shade-grown coffee and rhodiola.

My tips for thick, creamy, and well-balanced smoothies:

• Use a high power blender! If you’ve never owned a high power blending like a Vitamix — you truly don’t know what you’re missing. It has truly transformed the texture of my smoothies and made blending so much more efficient. I have the Explorian E320 from Costco — it’s a great, budget-friendly option for those of us who don’t want to spend $700+ on our first high-speed blender and it comes with a 7-year warranty.

• For easier blending, start with your liquid, then add frozen veggies & fruit, then finish with boosts, powders, and fiber.

• Add some healthy fat and a complete protein to create a balanced meal — I like this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra. Collagen, however good for your hair, skin, and gut is more of a nutrient boost than a complete protein since it doesn’t have a full amino acid profile.

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BOOSTED TAHINI ESPRESSO SMOOTHIE

This Boosted Tahini Espresso Smoothie is made with banana, cacao, tahini and boosted with maca, collagen, mushroom coffee. Not only is this smoothie packed with nutrients, it’s thick enough to eat with a spoon!

INGREDIENTS:

• ¾- 1 cups unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)*

• ½ frozen banana* OR 3-4 drops stevia extract & 4 ice cubes

• 1 cup frozen riced cauliflower (or frozen zucchini)

• 1 tablespoon raw cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 packet four stigmatic mushroom coffee (lions make & chaga) or 2 teaspoons espresso powder

• 1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

• 2 scoops protein powder of choice

• 2 tablespoons tahini

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• 1 teaspoon maca

• pinch of sea salt

• sprinkle with cacao nibs & toasted sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Starting with the almond milk first, add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy — this may take a moment, so be patient!
3. Pour into your favorite bowl or cup, top with cacao nibs and sesame seeds, and enjoy!

*NOTES:

• Start with ¾ cup milk (if using frozen bananas) and increase as needed.
• If you don't have frozen bananas on hand, just use fresh bananas, 4 ice cubes and about 1 cup almond milk instead, adding more as needed.
• I use this grass-fed beef protein isolate from Equip Foods and this pasture-raised goat whey protein from Mt. Capra

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