Curried Asparagus Soup

Spring has the same effect on me as an episode of Hoarders: I want to get rid of stuff, I want to clean, and I want to simplify. Do I really need those hamster socks that I bought in Japan 5 years ago that I don’t even wear anymore because the bottoms are completely threadbare? Well, yes, because: hamsters. But there are lots of other things I could probably get rid of and spring always has a way of making me want to purge our closets and cabinets and junk drawers. I want to pare down all the extraneous stuff in our house and keep the things that matter. I’ve been feeling out of balance lately and all that clutter has started to feel like a physical manifestation of that. Too! Much! Stuff!

My friend Winnie, who blogs at Healthy Green Kitchen, wrote a book called One Simple Change (affiliate link!) that’s all about getting back to basics and finding balance in life through 50 small lifestyle changes. I have found myself referring to it often lately, particularly the chapters about dealing with stress and living in the moment. I spend so much time thinking and planning and worrying that just the act of eating dinner and thinking about what I’m eating as I eat it is huge. Even Winnie’s tone in the book somehow manages to be soothing.

Although some of our thoughts on food are different, I also love Winnie’s advice to eat real foods—leafy greens, nutrient-packed smoothies, and healthy fats. I don’t subscribe to the notion that there are good foods or bad foods, but I do believe there are foods you should eat often and foods you should eat less frequently and One Simple Change is a good reminder to stick to simple, nourishing foods as much as possible.

Which brings me to this simple Curried Asparagus Soup. It doesn’t have a long list of ingredients and it doesn’t cook on the stovetop for an hour, but it packs in a surprising amount of flavor for an unassuming bowl of soup. Cashews add a little protein and creaminess without using dairy and lemon juice squeezed into the soup just before serving gives it a bright, fresh flavor. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s perfect for welcoming spring.

If you’d like to win a copy of One Simple Change, I’m giving one away on the Marketplace this month—enter to win here!
Go to Curried Asparagus Soup recipe

Disclosure: I received a review copy of One Simple Change, but I wasn’t obligated to write this post–I chose to because I enjoyed the book!