Serves: 2 quarts (a bowl daily for a week or 2 is recommended for health benefits)

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini, ends discarded and zucchini sliced into rounds
• 1 pound string beans, ends trimmed (frozen okay)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1-2 bunches parsley (flat-leaf or curly), tough stems removed (you can freeze the stems for stock making)
• 4 cups water

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Skim any foam on the surface, lower the heat and simmer, covered until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Puree soup in the pot with a handheld blender or in a blender in batches.
3. Eat warm.

“This soup is nothing new. In fact, it has been around for decades, invented by a doctor named Bieler. The soup is vegan and all vegetable-based. It is not a culinary soup in the sense that it is so delicious that you would want to serve it to your friends at your next dinner party, but more of a medicinal soup.  It tastes absolutely fine though, just a little bland.

According to Sally Fallon in her book Nourishing Traditions, Dr. Bieler felt that this combination of vegetables was ideal for restoring acid-alkaline and sodium-potassium balance to organs and glands, especially the sodium-loving adrenal glands which suffer under stress.  The broth is also supportive for liver function — recall that the liver is our detoxifying organ.  Bieler’s broth is highly recommended for those under stress or suffering from stress-related conditions.” Pamela Salzman