Parsley reminds me of my Grandma's yard. When I was a child, she always had large amounts of parsley growing beside her back steps. She garnished every bowl of her delicious soup with fresh parsley sprigs.

Most people think of parsley as merely the garnish on a plate of restaurant food, but this culinary herb should really be eaten by the handfuls. High in iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, B-complex vitamins, and vitamins A, K, and C, parsley cleanses and rejuvenates the blood vessels, clears toxins, and boosts the immune system. Particularly great in springtime, parsley is a diuretic that is good for digestion and also helps the kidneys, bladder, and ears. The list of benefits is quite long for this herb that contains more iron than spinach and more vitamin C than oranges!

A few years ago, I went through a Moroccan cooking phase, and that is when I began using larger amounts of parsley. A lot of Moroccan recipes call for not just a sprig of parsley, but a whole bunch of Italian flat leaf parsley! (Note: it is recommended that you remove most of the bottom stems, but you should use some of them for the incredible nutritional benefits.)

In the Spring section of my vegetarian soup cookbook, Love Soups: A Vegetarian Soup Cookbook Inspired by the Soup Devas, there is a recipe for Moroccan Carrot Soup. Here I will share that recipe:

Moroccan Carrot Soup

7 cups of carrots, chopped small
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/3 cup finely chopped garlic
juice of 2 lemons
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cumin powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt (sea salt or Himalayan krystal salt)
black pepper, sprinkle
2 cans (15 oz. each) garbanzo beans

In soup pot, warm olive oil, add cumin powder and paprika. Stir well, add carrots and 2 tablespoons water. Stir well to coat all carrots with the oil and spices. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add 6 cups of water, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil uncovered (to smell up the kitchen with spices). Cook medium boil for 3 minutes, remove from heat. Add parsley, cilantro, garlic, and juice of 1 lemon. Stir and cover for 5 minutes.

Drain and rinse garbanzo beans. In a blender, blend beans, 3 cups of the carrot soup, and juice of 1 lemon. Pour all back into soup pot, stir, and serve. Garnish with more parsley and cilantro. For lemon lovers, squeeze more lemon juice on top. Serve with naan or pita bread.

Please buy organic food, especially organic produce, whenever possible. It is better for our bodies, and it is better for the planet. Also, consider growing your own parsley. If you don't have a garden, you can grow it in a pot.

My favorite type of parsley is the one used in the cuisine of Morocco ~ the Italian flat leaf ~ but I also really love the curly variety of parsley. Both taste great on sandwiches and in salads. Also, the unique fragrance of parsley gives a wonderful smell to our breath. As you enjoy the outward movement of Spring energies, remember to spend some time each day going inside and nourishing your inner being. Witness the effects of Spring on your mind, body, and heart. Slowly chew a handful of parsley, and as you do so, mindfully breathe in the freshness of Spring, and breathe out the unique scent of parsley!

May all beings everywhere know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini


Photo of sunlit parsley by Teja Shankara.