I finally figured out how to use spirulina!!!
There’s some background here. First spirulina is a superfood, which simply put means a highly nutritious food. It is a type of algae and has the highest protein concentration of any whole food on the planet. Spirulina is also a good source of chlorophyll and GLA (an anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid). It can be bought in either powdered or capsule form. At first, my idea was to add it to my morning smoothie as a protein source. Keep in mind that spirulina is green, very very green.
But that didn’t stop me; my plan was to add raw cacao nibs and peppermint leaves to make a “mint chocolate chip” type smoothie. I thought that way the green color wouldn’t bother me. It really didn’t work. It had a slight taste, just enough so that my mint chocolate chip recipe wasn’t even slightly convincing. Spirulina is a very dark green and it kind of takes over whatever you put it in. At one point, I tried to mix it with a powdered vitamin supplement; it was like the Swamp Thing had crept into my cup.
So I gave up. The bottle has been sitting in my cabinet ever since. Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago, I was making Creamy Asparagus Soup with Dill from Feeding the Whole Family, by Cynthia Lair. I modified the recipe a bit; I added a teaspoon of turmeric and I didn’t use the bay leaf simply because I didn’t have one. And then, I got an amazing idea. The soup was already green, so why not just add the spirulina! At first I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It turned the pale green soup into a very deep green, and I only used a heaping teaspoon! However, I have made the soup since without the spirulina and I actually liked it better with it. It really added something! So, I am including the recipe below with my additions, if you would like to try it at home.
Creamy Asparagus Soup with Dill
Prep time: 25 minutes
Makes 6 Servings
2 tablespoons grass fed butter or extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon fresh snipped dill or 1 teaspoon dried
1 bunch asparagus, washed and trimmed, and cut into 2 inch pieces
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 to 3 cups of water
1 bay leaf
½ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 heaping teaspoon spirulia.
Heat butter/oil in a 4 quart pot. Add onion, celery, cumin, and dill and sauté until vegetables are soft. Add asparagus and sauté a few more minutes. Add stock, water, bay leaf, oats, and salt. Bring to a boil. Simmer 15 minutes.
Let cool. Transfer to a blender and add lemon juice, spirulina, and turmeric. Puree in small batches or use an immersion blender to puree.
* I made it with broccoli instead of asparagus last week. It was yummy this way too.
