Ritu Sandhi + Spring Vegetable Soup

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

Lao Tzu

 Ritu Sandhi, the seasonal junction.

Ritu = season

Sandhi = junction or meeting place

The transition of time that exists between the ending of one season and the beginning of another, can overlap. There are moments of what is to come and then there are moments of what was. This beautiful waxing and waning of the seasons is a place of beauty and honoring of Mother Nature. 

The practice of Ayurveda observes Ritu Sandhis as a period of about 2 weeks between seasons, but sometimes it can feel longer. Like yoga, Ayurveda is a practice of bringing balance to the mind-body-spirit connection. To stay in rhythm with nature's cycles, we pay attention to seasonal living or Ritucharya. Ritu translated as season and Charya translated as regimen. The seasonal shifting of Ritu Sandhi is a gradual process and if you are of the mindset that we, as humans are part of nature, then shifting gradually through rituals that support us during the seasonal transitions is essential. 

I'm writing this on a Thursday in early April, where it is wet, cold, and raining snow. There was no snow day called but how I wish there was! Instead, I'm gathering my warmest layers and waterproof clothes to walk my dog and get myself ready for work. Even though spring is here, I'm still sipping tea, enjoying cooked foods, and making soups. Why? because my body needs to transition slowly, I am nature, and I am moving gradually into the new season we are in. 

 On this chilly, wet day in early spring, I'm sharing a soup recipe I made this week that came out really good. It feels nourishing and balancing to support myself in ways that connect me with nature and the changing seasons. Spring is a good time to eat more vegetables and legumes, it's also a good time to eat your greens. The benefits of leafy greens are numerous and this soup recipe is versatile. I used kale as I had it in my crisper, but you could use collards, dandelion greens, red cabbage, baby spinach, Swiss chard, mustard or turnip greens. Legumes are a great source of protein, I had red kidney beans and frozen edamame, which was an interesting replacement for petite peas. I really like green squash (zucchini), so even though it's not in season yet, I added it to my soup to switch it up from the orange winter squash. 

Spring Vegetable Soup

Start with making a soffrito, which is essentially the same as a mirepoix, the essential foundation of soup and sauces, but uses olive oil instead of butter. 

Gather your ingredients, 2 leeks, 3 medium carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 medium sized zucchini, 2 garlic cloves, and a piece of dried kombu.

Rinse 2 leeks with the root and green stalk cut off, slice your leeks in half lengthwise and wash in between the layers to remove any extra dirt, then slice the leeks into smaller half moons for your sauté. 

Wash and peel 3 medium sized orange and yellow carrots, slice into small cubes.

Wash 2 celery stalks and slice length wise and cut into small half moons.

1 medium sized green squash (zucchini) washed and cut into cubes. 

Add the diced vegetables to a large soup pot with 2-4 Tablespoons of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) on low/medium heat, add a pinch of flake sea salt, cracked pepper, 1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flake, and 1-2 teaspoons of herbs de Provence. Stir and sauté until softened, about 5-8 minutes. 

Gently grate 2 peeled garlic cloves into your soffrito. I prefer this method for garlic as it's better for flavor distribution. Add in a piece of dried kombu (sea vegetable) for an umami taste and additional vitamins and minerals for your broth. 

Add 32 ounces of low salt vegetable broth (homemade or store bought). 

*Homemade vegetable broth is so easy, just save all your veggie scraps, put them in a large pot, cover with filtered water, and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Strain out all the veggies and you have veggie broth you can use immediately or freeze for later. 

Add 1 1/2 cups red kidney beans and 1 1/2 cup of green peas or edamame. You can use frozen peas and canned beans, just make sure the canned beans are salt free. 

Simmer the soup on low/medium heat for 20 minutes. 

Add any chopped leafy greens to the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes. I used a handful of kale that I cut the tough center rib out of, so the greens would be tender. Take the soup off the heat, let it sit for 5 minutes before serving. 

There are some delicious "extras" that boost the nutritional value and flavor of this soup. After serving the soup into a bowl, I added a spoonful of sweet brown rice miso. Miso is a savory, fermented food with anti oxidative and anti inflammatory benefits. I also added a few shakes of nutritional yeast, its nutty flavor has high fiber, protein, and B vitamins. I pre-cooked "pastina" pasta, which I remember eating as a child and added it into the soup for comfort value. Millet is a great gluten free replacement that has a similar texture and size. Enjoy!