Chickweed Chowder. I know. But this is not a joke. This is a real recipe for some real good (and cheesy) chickweed chowder.
It is spring time here in the southern hemisphere and the garden is just rocking and popping with chickweed and all the other edible spring time weeds. Somehow I got a little obsessed this winter / spring, with EATING these weeds.
Recently I found out that chickweed and nettle contain massive big time amounts of iron, are generally super nutrient dense, and are both potent detoxifiers! For this reason I decided to create two soups, this Chickweed Chowder and the Nettle Detox Soup.
If you are interested in the properties of nettles – have a look at that recipe. Otherwise, let’s go on to the exciting benefits of chickweed.
How High is the High Iron Content in Chickweed
It’s easy to say this food is high in x mineral, but how much iron does chickweed contain? It turns out, that chickweed contains over than 20 times more iron than steak. What?
This blew my mind, because I am always on the lookout to get some extra iron in. I never knew that chickweed was such a potent source!
From time to time I get a horrible drained feeling. I tracked this depleted feeling down to an iron deficiency – which I have been boosting with Hemp Water Drinks and Red Hot Spinach Juice to get the levels up. Now that I have found out how much iron is in chickweed, I think I must make more recipes with it. Chickweed pesto anybody? : P
Devil of Detox
Like nettle, chickweed is also supposed to be a super cell purifier, to the point where it dissolves plaque buildup in cells. Wow.
Which leads us to this next exciting point.
Chickweed: the old time Skinny Plant
(Fat Buster Alert)
Historically, chickweed was known as the ideal plant to ingest if looking to lose weight. The scientific basis behind this lies in the detox power of chickweed.
Part of chickweed’s detoxing effect is that it helps the body dissolve and rid itself of excess fat cells. This combined with the cleansing of the remaining cells and purifying of the digestive tract can result in induced weight loss.
Chickweed Contains High Levels of Protein
In addition chickweed contains 20% protein! This is an exceptionally high percentage for a plant food, particularly a green.
Chickweed Chowder
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Ingredients
- 500 grams potatoes
- 75 grams butter
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 half onion finely chopped
- 50 grams raw rinsed and chopped chickweed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 100 grams grated cheddar cheese
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put the potatoes on to steam in a small pot until fully cooked.
- Heat the butter in a separate and larger pot. Add the chopped onion and simmer at a medium heat until the onion is softened.
- Add the chickweed and toss until slightly tendered.
- Add the flour and toss.
- Add the water and garlic and simmer for 4 minutes.
- Add the simmered potato and milk, and blend. An immersion blender works well for this. You can add extra water or milk if the soup is too thick.
- Place the pot back onto a low heat and stir in the grated cheese.
- Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
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