3 Christmas Recipes To Keep Your Gut Happy

I’ve been writing recipes at a furious pace to meet the publishing deadlines of my upcoming cookbook for people living with Crohn’s disease. Cooking right now feels a bit like looking at the code of The Matrix —a stream of recipe details as I move from the cutting board to the stovetop. There were a couple of dishes from my gut-happy Thanksgiving dinner that turned out so well I wanted to share them and I threw in a recipe for a gluten-free, no-sugar pumpkin pie. Give one a try and let me know what you think!

Chestnut Soup with Mushrooms

SERVES 6–8 / PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES / COOK TIME: 15 MINUTES

This is one of the most satisfying soups I’ve ever eaten — rich and creamy with an umami boost from the mushrooms. A single cup is packed with over 30% of your daily vitamin A and is high in vitamin C & K, pre-biotic fiber, and beta-glucans from the mushrooms. It is also high in important minerals for protein synthesis like copper, manganese, potassium, and selenium. Net carbs come in around 10 grams, making it a reasonable low-carb addition to your meal.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
4 stalks Celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 cup Shiitake (or any other small to medium mushrooms), washed and chopped
1 cup Chestnuts, boiled or steamed
2…