Get Nourishment From This Seasonal Food

One of the delicious nourishing and centering foods for this season is the yam. Yams are a good source of vitamin C –important for fighting infections such as colds and flu, promoting wound healing, anti-aging, strong bones, and healthy immune function. It also provides fiber, potassium, manganese, and B vitamins. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) is good for reducing the effects of homocysteine, which can damage to cell walls and lead to heart attacks and/or stroke. In folk medicine, the yam is hailed as an anti-arthritic agent that is known as the “anti-rheumatism root.”

Nourishing Yam Soup

Put four extra yams in the oven when you’re making dinner and you’ll have a head start on this soup.

• 4 large yams
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
• 2 cups coarsely chopped mushrooms
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the yams and cut lengthwise. Put the yams in a large roasting pan, cut sides up. Scatter the sliced onions over the top and drizzle 1 Tbsp. over the top.
3. While the yams are roasting, heat the remaining olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms, garlic, curry powder, rosemary, salt and pepper for 10 minutes.
4. When the yams are tender, let them cool slightly and then remove the skins. Put the yams, onion, stock or water in the soup pot with the sautéd mushroom mixture. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with chopped cilantro or herbs of choice.