Spice up your soups with ginger

GRAND RAPIDS - I love experimenting with spice.  I have my definite faves and ginger is one of them.  I like my ginger raw in the root form over buying the powdered spice.  If you try both in recipes or drinks you will certainly taste the difference.  Ginger is great as it can be used as sweet or savory and more great news is that one teaspoon of ginger has equal antioxidant levels as one cup of spinach.  Ginger is also a known pain reducer and helps cure many digestive issues.  Ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory herb and is known for its use for joint problems.  So aside from throwing a little chunk into my morning smoothie, here is another quick and easy use for ginger - spice up a soup!

2 cups fresh or frozen corn
3 diced red skinned potatoes

3/4 cup chopped scallions
2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

4 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter - earth balance
Sea salt - to taste
1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 can coconut milk
8 fresh basil leaves - I like to cut these into thin stripes
Juice of 1/2 lime

Put 5 cups of filtered water and the potatoes and corn in a pot - heat until potatoes are tender.  Add scallions.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
In a small sauce pan melt vegan butter and then saute garlic and ginger with red jalapeno until fragrant.  Set aside.
Using a submersible blender or blending in batches the potato / corn mixture.  I like to leave this somewhat chunky.  Now add spices and vegan butter to blended mixture with the coconut milk as well.  Add your basil leaves and cook covered on low temp until it smells so good your family is begging you to serve it. 
Add lime juice just prior to serving.

This soup is perfect for our West Michigan weather and will leave you feeling warm and satisfied.

Ginger is also indicated for - Arthritis, fevers, headaches, and toothaches, lowers blood cholesterol and blood-pressure and aids in preventing internal blood clots. Coughs or bronchitis, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, improves the complexion, eases tendonitis. There is some evidence to suggest that it helps to combat skin, ovarian, colon and breast cancer.