Want a recipe that will help strengthen the chest and throat as well as assist with upper respiratory infections? The onions and almonds in this soup recipe help. Onions’ pungent taste has a dispersing quality that act to expel pathogens from the body as well as invigorate circulation of Qi.
The caramelized onions and toasted almonds, when pureed, give a natural creaminess to the soup without actually adding cream, while the saffron--which was once used to dye the robes of Buddhist monks--adds a bit of color and unique flavor.
The nuttiness of the sherry accents the almonds while the acidity balances the creaminess and richness of the soup and keeps you coming back for more. The pungent quality of onions promotes warmth and moves energy in the body outwards and upwards. Onions are a member of the lily family - lilies are among the oldest cultivated plants native to East Asia and have been used in herbal preparations and to relieve coughs for years.
Caramelized Onion Soup with Toasted Almond, Saffron and Sherry
Serving size: About 2-3
Prep Time / Cook Time: 15 minutes / 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 oz Butter
2-3 C Sliced yellow or white onion
4-5 oz Sliced almonds, toasted
1-2 Cloves Garlic
1-2 C Vegetable stock
Pinch saffron
1-2 teaspoons Dry Sherry
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Using the butter, lightly caramelize the onions, adding the garlic towards the end. Add the stock, toasted almonds, saffron, salt and pepper to taste and simmer until soft. Puree, balance with sherry and adjust seasoning.
The recipes on The Way are intended as an East meets West look at food and its relationship to health and nutrition. Food is powerful, and every bite can either greatly benefit your system or effectively work against it. In Chinese Medicine, each grain, vegetable, meat, fruit, and spice has unique properties that can be harnessed to help us achieve and maintain balance in our bodies. Our recipes seek to incorporate some of the age-old principles of Chinese medicine into the culinary practices more familiar to the West.
Dining with Culinary Artist Travis Metzger is an unforgettable experience. You can taste the passion, creativity and culinary expertise in each of Travis’s one-of-kind recipes. Most would agree that Traditional Chinese Medicine herbs in their original form taste less than delectable, but Travis has proven that TCM for today can taste great with DAO Labs. Travis develops unique flavors for each DAO formula to complement the proprietary blend of herbs and their health benefits. After extensive training at the New England Culinary Institute, Travis ran some of the finest restaurants across the country before starting his own in Minneapolis. To survive the stresses and physical challenges of the kitchen heat, Travis focused on combining natural ingredients for healthy AND delicious eating and juicing.
