Zucchini Soup Recipe and More Paleo Links

Hey Guys,

Our Paleo “Spring Leaning” Challenge is less than a week away!  With that in mind Lauren Pesch from the 6pm class came up with a great idea that we can share some of our favorite Paleo recipes here on the blog.  I have quite a few Paleo recipes that I really like, but I will need your help with this.  If you have a Paleo recipe that you are willing to share with the group, please email it to me: ryan@wccrossfit.com, and I will get it up here so that everyone else can give it a try.  If you have a picture of the finished dish, all the better.

Lauren said she would kick us off with a great Zucchini soup recipe that she just made, so here you go:

Zucchini Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 bacon strips, minced (I used pancetta)
• 2 onions, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 medium zucchini, diced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• ½ cup tomato puree
• 3 tablespoons tarragon or cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
• ½ tsp salt or to taste
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until the fat is released and the bacon bits are crisp (6-8 minutes).  Add the onions and garlic.  Cook stirring frequently, until the onions are a light golden brown (8-10 minutes).  Add the zucchini, cover the pot, and cook until the zucchini starts to become translucent (5 minutes).   Add the broth, tomatoes, tomato puree, and vinegar.  Bring the soup to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very tender and the soup has developed a good flavor (15-20 minutes).  Add the basil to the soup and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

A big thanks to Lauren for the great idea and first recipe!  I can’t wait to try it.

If you are still a bit apprehensive about the Spring Leaning Paleo challenge, don’t get too worried over it.  Remember, we have a 1 hour informational kickoff lecture this coming Saturday at 10am.  All of your questions will be answered there.  In the meantime, our friends at CrossFit Santa Clara have a fantastic blog devoted to their Paleo challenge.  I would highly recommend that you check this out post by post, beginning to end.

Another great source for information regarding Paleo is the book that started it all “The Paleo Diet” by Dr. Loren Cordain.  This book lays out the plan in very simple terms, with a full explanation as to why it works and the seemingly miraculous cures that a proper diet can make for folks with health problems.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me: ryan@wccrossfit.com

-Ryan