You  know what they say about making resolutions don’t you? You forget them almost as quickly as you make them. About two weeks to be exact.

I stopped making resolutions years ago. Those promises to myself to “lose weight this year” or “get to the gym more” were way too vague, and frankly, came from an angle of me needing to scold and punish myself after a decadent holiday season.The bottom line is that resolutions like this never work. We women don’t need any more self punishment, and we are more then capable of telling ourselves how we are not good enough, or don’t have the willpower to muscle through. What I have learned, and what I teach my clients, is to create strategic, empowering goals that are actually attainable, powerful and can even be fun.

Being that it is January, one gentle nudge of mine every year is to ease back into my routine. Even the best of us gets thrown off track during the holidays. You might be feeling run down, tired and needing to lighten up.

This soup is my version of a winter smoothie. It’s green and made with few ingredients, but it is warm and I drink it in a mug, like a cup of tea. It makes a great midday snack or an extra bonus at lunch. You also know that you are getting some much needed nutrients back into your life.

Try it. Make extra and freeze it for another snowy day. And if you are ready to make 2017 your year to get empowered around your health, email me to book a FREE mini goal setting session, in person or by phone. I am booking a limited amount of clients who really want to up their game this year with their weight, health and wellness. Let’s see if we are a fit. In the meantime, enjoy the healing benefits of your new soup.

Winter Green Soup

Serves about 6

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 cup cooked brown rice or other whole grain
1 large bunch  Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
12 ounces baby spinach
4 cups homemade vegetable stock, or water
pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more to taste

Ingredients

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add onions, salt and pepper.  Cook on medium high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to brown and have a deep caramel color, about 25 to 30 minutes.
2. Stir in the cooked rice, chard and spinach. Do this in batches to allow the greens to wilt down and prevent them from spilling out. Add the stock or water along with a pinch of cayenne, bring to a boil, then down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth and return it to the pot. Taste to see if the soup needs more salt and stir in the lemon juice. Serve warm in a mug.

Note about the grains: You can use whatever whole grain you have on hand, if you some extra cooked grain (I actually used cooked barley the last time I made it) even better. The whole grain is simply used to add a little bulk to this soup, so feel free to experiment.