Anti-Inflammatory Fish Chowder Recipe
This soothing soup was inspired by my mother, an excellent cook, who made a delicious fish chowder when I was a child. During the cold winter months, this is a comforting nutrient rich one-pot meal that reminds me of home.
While I encourage eating a largely plant-based diet, I love including wild and sustainably caught seafood due to its health promoting properties. Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 PUFAs) found in cold water fish such as sardines, salmon and halibut can reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic inflammatory diseases like heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psychiatric and neurodegenerative illnesses are other conditions found in the literature that might benefit from these essential fatty acids (EFA's).
These good fats also regulate blood pressure, hematic clotting, glucose tolerance, and nervous system development and functions while influencing exercise performance for those who're physically active by enhancing skeletal muscle function and reactive oxygen production. Ongoing advantages of these functional fats continue to be discovered.
Use this recipe as a simple way to incorporate essential fatty acids from fish into your busy week! Feel free to be creative with the ingredients (and quantities) you have on hand. You can warm this soup up in a pressure cooker, crock pot, or simmer it on the stove.
Ingredients:
1 onion and/or 2 leeks
A handful of sliced carrots and/or celery
1 can of tomatoes
1 container of organic bone, chicken, or vegetable broth low in sodium
1 can of coconut milk (optional) for a creamy effect
1 can of white beans, rinsed
1 can of non-GMO corn, rinsed
2 green zucchini, quartered
2 cups (or a few handfuls) of diced potatoes (red, purple, sweet, etc... )
2 Bay leaves
1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning
1 tsp black pepper
a splash of lemon or lime
2-4 fish filets, defrosted
1 head of kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Preparation:
Pre- wash and cut the onion, leeks, carrots, celery, zucchini and potatoes.
Using a splash of water, water-saute the onion and/or leek until it begins to sweat. Then add the carrots and/or celery until they begin to soften and brown.
When the water evaporates, add the can of tomatoes for moisture and reduce the heat as needed.
Add the broth, coconut milk, beans, corn, zucchini, potatoes, and seasonings.
Cover and heat until hot. If you're using a pressure cooker, use the manual setting for 10 minutes.
Once the soup is good and hot, add the filets and greens, reducing the heat to low and covering with a lid.
Allow the warmth of the soup to cook the fish, this only takes a few minutes.
Stir, breaking up the fish. Then, turn off the heat and cover until ready to serve.
Top with fresh basil for an extra burst of flavor. Enjoy!
References:
Comments