
Green Goddess Detox Soup (GF/DF/V/Paleo/AIP)
This Green Goddess Detox Soup is my Monday go to, also known as my weekend-regrets-gotta-catch-up-on-my-veggies-and-stop-drinking-so-much-wine-soup. Hey, I’m not perfect. But this soup pretty much makes me feel like I am. Loaded in veggies, this tasty soup is comforting, cleansing and easy to digest.
This soup was inspired and adapted by Ann Louise Gittleman’s recipe for Creamy Dreamy Watercress Soup in her book Radical Metabolism. I put my own twist on it of course, but she recommends this soup as part of her gallbladder flush 4 day plan. She highlights the importance of eating bitters to stimulate the release of bile for gallbladder health. I find myself going back to reference her book quite a bit which I don’t do with most of the books I read. If you haven’t read it, there is some really interesting information that you won’t find in other books. I highly recommend it.
The #1 Fat Burning Soup
First, this Green Goddess Detox Soup is obviously low in calories and high in nutrients. Always a plus when you are trying to loose weight. But there is a lot more to it than that.
It is food sensitivity friendly. It’s free of wheat, eggs, dairy, onion and other common gallbladder disrupters. Thick congested toxic bile is a major metabolic roadblock. Your liver, gallbladder, digestion and metabolism are afffected by toxic bile. Therefore, by eating cleansing soups that help to move the bile, you will be making it easier for your body to burn fat. Bile helps to digest fats so your body can use them instead of storing them, it breaks down hormones and matabolic waste, helps you absorb vitmains in your food, reduces inflammation in your body, keeps cholesterol levels balanced, and plays an important role in thyroid health and function.
For all of these reasons, this soup is a great part of any weight loss or health management plan!
Watercress
Watercress has a special part in this soup. Besides being a bile booster, research has shown that it can specifically help with weight loss. It’s high in nutrients and antioxidants which make it blood sugar stabilizing and protective against oxidative stress. One cup of this leafy green gives you 100% of your daily dose of Vitamin K, a nutrient needed for blood and bone health. Did I mention it fights cancer? Studies have shown watercress to be anti-cancer specifically toward prostate, breast, colon, skin and lung cancers. This nutrient dense superfood helps to recharge your cells, thin your bile, fight cancerous cells, feed your gut microbiome and heal your digestive tract. Eat up!
If you like what you are reading and are interested in learning more about how to get 100x more nutrient density out of the foods you already eat, check out my free guide here.
Substitutions
Now a quick note on substitutions. If you can’t find watercress (I get mine at Sprouts) go ahead and use another bitter green. First choice arugula, second choice spinach. If you can’t find celery root, add more cauliflower. You can use vegetable broth instead of bone broth if you are vegan. And skip the hemp heart if you are following a strict Autoimmune Paleo Protocol (AIP).
I make this soup about once a month. I hope you enjoy it too!

Green Goddess Detox Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large leeks, washed and sliced use both white and green parts
- 1 2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 2" piece of fresh tumeric, peeled and minced
- 2 bulb celeriac (celery root), brown exterior removed by knife and cut into cubes
- 1 small head cauliflower, washed and chopped into large pieces
- 2 tsp sea salt, more or less to taste
- 2 large daikon radishes, scrubbed and sliced
- 8 cups bone broth (I use Kettle & Fire brand) vegan or vegetarian: substitute vegetable broth
- 1 lemon, juiced + zest some of the peel
- 2 bunches watercress, washed and chopped
Toppings (amount per bowl)
- 1 tsp powdered organic miso sir a bit in each serving
- 2 tbs hemp hearts Omit if strict AIP
- 1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Turn your instant pot on "saute." Add olive oil and sliced leeks. Sautee, stirring frequently, until softened. Add ginger and tumeric and saute 1 more minute, until fragrant.
- Add in celery root, cauliflower, and radish. Then add in a tsp of salt and the bone or vegetable broth. Put the lid on the instant pot, seal it, and turn it on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When done, press the steam release valve until depressurized. Then open the lid, stir in lemon, zest, and watercress.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Taste and add salt until desired saltiness.
- Serve with some miso stirred in, hemp hearts and parsley on top.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium high heat. Add leeks and saute until softened.
- Add ginger and tumeric and continue to cook 1 minute. Then add celery root, radish and cauliflower. Pour in broth and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer 20 minutes or until veggies are tender.
- Stir in lemon juice and zest and watercress. Then using an immersion blender (or pour into a high speed blender that has a vented lid like the Vitamix) puree until smooth.
- To serve, stir in a bit of organic miso powder and top with hemp hearts and chopped parsley.
Notes

References
Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology. 2015. Effects of Hydroalcoholic Extract of Watercress (Nasturtium Officinale) Leaves on Serum Glucose and Lipid Levels in Diabetic Rats.
The European Journal of Nutrition. 2008. The cancer chemopreventive actions of phytochemicals derived from glucosinolates.
Pharmacology and Therapeutics. 2018. From chemo-prevention to epigenetic regulation: The role of isothiocyanates in skin cancer prevention.
Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology. 2005. Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000. Dietary vitamin K intakes are associated with hip fracture but not with bone mineral density in elderly men and women.
CDC Journal Preventing Chronic Disease. Watercress Soup Diet Study. Wildly Successful for Weightloss.

