With the weather starting to cool down, we are now ready to bring our sweaters, socks, football, and warm foods back out! Fall is a great time to try new seasonal fruits and vegetables and the perfect opportunity to prepare hearty, warm, filling chili and soups.

These warm, hearty dishes also are ideal to add extra veggies to, they can be added in puree or chopped form. WIC tomato juice is also a great ingredient to add to use up juice checks without added sugar. Many kids are low on iron, so adding dark, leafy greens to as many foods as possible will help them eat more fiber, B vitamins, iron, and minerals. This mustard greens soup definitely checks all of the boxes on that list!

Mustard Greens Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

•   4 cups mustard green leaves

•   1 shallot, chopped

•   2 cloves garlic, minced

•   2 tablespoons vegetable oil

•   2 medium russet potatoes, skin left on for added fiber

•   2 sprigs fresh thyme

•   ½ cup coconut milk

Directions

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and shallot. Sweat the shallots for about 3-4 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the potatoes, thyme, and 4 cups of water. Cover with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the mustard greens and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted and tender.

Remove the thyme sprigs. Let the mixture cool down before adding to a high-speed blender along with the coconut milk. Blend the soup until creamy and smooth. Reheat or enjoy chilled.

Recipe from http://www.organicauthority.com/4-mustard-greens-recipes

By Dahlia Marin, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist