Vegan Ikarian Longevity Soup Blue Zone Recipe (2024)

Vegan Ikarian Longevity Soup is a Blue Zone Recipe and every bite is full of healthy and nutritious plant-based foods. It’s super easy to make in a slow cooker or Instant Pot or just on the stove. and is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients that may help you live healthier and even possibly longer. This tasty soup is economical and budget-friendly, too!

Vegan Ikarian Longevity Soup is Nutrient Dense!

Check out the ingredients in Longevity Soup. Every one of them adds a lot of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber and it’s also fairly low in calories. High nutrients and low calories mean the food is “nutrient-dense.”

Ikaria is a small island in Greece where the residents enjoy increased longevity. Many live well into their 90s free of dementia and other conditions that can reduce a healthy lifespan. Ikaria is one of the famous “Blue Zones” where inhabitants enjoy mostly whole-food plant-based diets combined with active and engaged lifestyles. In this recipe, I’ve included only nutrient-dense ingredients that would be found in any Ikarian kitchen.

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Sweet Potatoes for Colorful Carotenes

Sweet potatoes give this soup lots of beautiful orange colors. That makes it pretty and also adds loads of beta carotene, vitamin C, and other antioxidants. They’re sweet and starchy and have lots of fiber as well. Sweet potatoes and other complex carbs with fiber are staples in the Blue Zones.

What’s an antioxidant anyway?

All the ingredients in this soup have lots of antioxidants. Antioxidants are molecules that defend against free radicals, which are unstable molecules that can cause damage to cells in the body. Too many free radicals can cause oxidative stress. Antioxidants are plentiful in whole, plant-based foods. And there are plenty in this tasty soup!

Onions and Garlic are Pale but Powerful

In addition to adding lots of intense flavors, onions and garlic are distant relatives in the allium family and even though they can lack the bright colors of some other vegetables, they still contain lots of vitamins and minerals.

Kale and Greens are as Healthy as they Look

You know kale is healthy just by looking at it. The rich green color is a hint that it’s got a lot of antioxidants. This member of the cruciferous family also contains lots of beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin K, and vitamin C and therefore is often called the healthiest vegetable on the planet!

Beans are Good for Your Heart

Beans are delicious and add a lot of flavor and fiber to this recipe. They really are good for your heart and help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They’re high in protein, too.

What is Mirepoix?

Like many soups, this one starts with a mirepoix … which is just a fancy name for some diced onions, celery, and carrots that are cooked at the beginning of soup to get some flavor going. I love the aroma and it really does add loads of taste. For this recipe, we’ve used some olive oil since it’s such a feature of Mediterranean diets, although you could certainly also simply water saute these.

Once the onions, celery, and carrots have softened a little, add the rest of the ingredients and let it all simmer until everything is tender and softened. In a slow cooker, this will take about 8 hours on low or 2 on high. In the Instant Pot, it should be ready after 30 minutes using the soup button/setting. And on the stove, let this simmer over medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally.