Spicy Lima Bean Soup & Zesty Sprout Salad

The Zesty Sprout Salad shown below was created with my own fresh grown sprouts and taste so delicious!  You can have a sprouting kitchen all winter long and it is a lot of fun, not to mention the nutritional value you gain.  Seeds, nuts and grains remain dormant until you give life to them. Inside they are full of potential just waiting to happen.  Unfortunately most people are eating them in their dormant and more difficult to digest stage.  Unlocking their potential by soaking in water and then sprouting is easy and will do wonders to improve digestion and health. Sprouts abound with antioxidants, they are full of protein, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino acids and in some cases reduce cholesterol.

     Phytic acid (or phytate when in salt form) is a substance found in many foods, but especially soybeans and soy products, oatmeal, corn, peanuts, kidney beans, whole wheat and rye. In the human gut, it acts as a chelater and an anti-nutrient. It reduces the absorption of valuable vitamins and minerals such as niacin, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

     Soaking, fermenting or sprouting beans, seeds, nuts and grains will neutralize much of the phytic acid.  A high consumption of improperly prepared phytate heavy foods can result in mineral and niacin deficiencies. This is particularly true for those with low mineral intakes, including children and people in developing countries where grain based foods make up the majority of the diet.

     Sprouting wheat for wheat bread makes it easier to digest. Sprouting wheat berries encourages them to make enzymes that break down starches, fats and proteins, which makes it easier to digest the grain. Sprouting tends to break down many of the substances, such as gluten, that may cause allergies in some people. Sprouting assists in making nutrients more available and can increase the absorption of calcium, iron and other minerals. To create healthier breads, muffins, pancakes, etc. soak your wheat kernels overnight, drain and let sprout for 1 or 2 days.  Dry the wheat kernel sprouts in a dehydrator.  When completely dry, grind into wheat and use in your recipes. 

     I also created a delicious Spicy Lima Bean Soup where I soaked the beans overnight and sprouted for a few days. Sprouting is the point where the bean is providing energy to create a plant. To facilitate this process, the bean’s nutrients are made as available as possible, and this coincidentally makes those nutrients more available to us. You won't actually see sprouts on the Lima Beans, but they will be ready to use in your soup after a few days. Large beans: Anasazi, Black, Fava, Kidney, Lima, Navy, Pinto, etc.-must be cooked to be digestible and are not to be eaten raw. These beans are actually unhealthful raw. To see a list of edible & non-edible sprouts - see Sprout People . After soaking and sprouting beans overnight or for a few days, you cook them with NO salt. Salt will interfere with the cooking process, and the beans will not fully soften if it is added too early. A piece of kombu (or other seaweed) in the cooking water while they boil helps improve digestibility and adds minerals to the beans.

Spicy Lima Bean Soup
Printable Recipe
Serves 4

Soaking, sprouting & cooking lima beans:
Ingredients
1 pound bag of lima beans (soak overnight & sprout for 2 days)
1 cup chopped onions
1 tomato, chopped fine
2 ½ tsp sea salt
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1-2 large handfuls of fresh basil chopped (add before serving)
Method:
Soaking, sprouting & cooking lima beans:
1.) Soak 1 pound of lima beans overnight, drain and rinse well. Place 4 or 5 wet paper towels on top of plastic tray. Place wet, well drained lima beans on top of paper towels and spread them out. Cover with more wet paper towels and then a wet dish cloth. Let sprout for 2 full days (you will not see a sprout shoot at this point). Keep lima beans moist during the sprouting process.
2.) Rinse lima beans well after 2 full days of sprouting and pick out any small little hard lima beans and toss out. Place the nice plump beans in a crock pot (should equal around 5 cups plump beans). Cover with 5 cups no-salt vegetable broth and 1 sliced onion. Cook on low for 8 hours. (you can do this overnight)
3.) Add remaining ingredients in crock pot and cook on low until ready to serve.
4.) Right before serving add fresh chopped basil.
5.) This soup is very thick and is best served over rice or potato. ENJOY!!

Sprouted Wheat, Sprouted Pro-Vita Mix, Soaked Lima Beans

Zesty Sprout Salad

ZESTY SPROUT SALAD
Printable Recipe
Sprout 1 cup (Pro-Vita-Mix) Organic adzuki beans, peas, lentils, mung beans, triticale, wheat, fenugreek
Sprout 2 tsp (Alfa-Plus-Mix) Organic alfalfa, clover, cabbage, raddish
1 cucumber (chopped into small pieces)
2 carrots (shredded)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (raw or toasted)

Dressing:
¼ cup maple syrup (grade B)
¼ tsp salt 1 Tbsp dried onion or 1/8 small onion chopped finely
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Place 1 cup (Pro-vita-Mix) in glass bowl and cover with warm water. Place 2 tsp (Alfa-Plus-Mix) in a separate glass bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. Place sprouts in the Sprout Masters. Thoroughly rinse 2 times per day (morning/night) with a gentle spray of warm water. Note: This step is needed to keep the seeds from drying out and to wash away natural toxins (like giving your sprouts a bath). Drain well after each rinse. Sprout Pro-vita-Mix 2 days and the Alfa-Plus-Mix for 3-5 days. Place Alfa-Plus-Mix in sun on the last day of sprouting to have them green up.

Place sprouts in bowl and add chopped cucumber and carrots. Mix with zesty dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

2 Seed Pack & Mini Sprouter