Market Watch with Timaree Hagenburger: Green Garlic

Ingredients

Green garlic and rainbow veggie soup 

1 to 2 green garlic stalks (white and green parts), cleaned and chopped
1 medium red onion, diced
1 lb. purple potatoes, diced
2 to 3 rainbow carrots, diced
3 to 4 celery ribs, diced
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. black pepper
6 to 8 cups vegetable broth
2 cups shredded red/purple kale
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Juice of 1 lemon 

Directions

Combine green garlic, onion, potatoes, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and broth in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until veggies are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in kale and cook for a few minutes until tender. Stir in parsley and lemon juice and enjoy! 

The Nutrition Professor's Prep Smart, Eat Smart Tips:

• Reserve some of the green garlic tops to garnish the soup before serving.

• Be very thorough when cleaning the green garlic, as you would with leeks. Slice the stalks lengthwise and clean in between the layers under running water and/or soak in a bowl of ice water to loosen debris. 

• Any color veggies will do, but the more colorful, the better in terms of health-promoting potential. The pigments in the vegetables are the phytonutrients that act as antioxidants in our bodies.

• Low-sodium veggie broth or veggie broth base is always a good choice. Also, water can be substituted. 

Serves 2 to 4