Several years ago, I read The Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman. I am now revisiting her insights into cleansing the liver to boost its ability to function at its highest level. Nothing weird. Just maximizing nutrients that detoxify. For example, this Fat Flush Soup from Gittleman's blog... We finished it off so quickly that I nearly had nothing left to take a photo. A more apt name for this recipe might be chili rather than soup.
Fat Flush Soup
2 tsp. olive oil
1 ¼ lbs. (I used 1 lb.) lean ground beef, turkey or chopped chicken*
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 large red, orange and/or green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large zucchini or yellow squash, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 46 oz. bottle reduced-sodium tomato or vegetable cocktail juice (I used a 32 oz. bottle of R.W. Knudsen Very Veggie Juice.)
1 can (15 oz.) pinto, garbanzo or black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used diced.)
1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup each fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, chopped (I didn't have any cilantro. I subbed 1 tbsp dried parsley for the 1/4 cup fresh.)
In a skillet coated with the olive oil, thoroughly cook beef, turkey or chicken, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; drain, if desired. In the same skillet, cook onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and garlic 5 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in next 6 ingredients and cooked meat. Add up to 1 cup water to thin soup, if desired. Cover; bring soup just to a simmer (do not let boil). Reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer 20 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in cilantro and parsley. Cover; let simmer 5 min. more. Garnish with shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired. Soup can be stored up to 5 days in the refrigerator or frozen. *Or for vegetarian option, omit meat and add another can of beans. Makes 10 to 12 cups.