Serves 4 / Ingredient tips: This raw-food soup calls for green chard, but you can use red or yellow; making the switch turns the soup slightly brown, but the taste is still good. Look for coconut water (not milk) in the juice or “energy foods” aisle of natural groceries. Serving tip: I eat this clean, healthy, sweet dish as a light meal by itself or with a piece of toast.

1 cup diced ripe pear (peel if desired)
1/3 cup raw walnut halves
6 very large fresh basil leaves
1 cup diced green chard stalk
2 cups diced green chard leaves
1 cup coconut water or coconut juice
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Place pear, walnuts, basil, chard stalk and leaves, and coconut water into a blender or food processor. Blend for 1 full minute, until entirely smooth and bright green. Add lemon juice and blend for a couple seconds.
PER SERVING: 96 cal, 49% fat cal, 6g fat, 1g sat fat, 0mg chol, 2g protein, 11g carb, 3g fiber, 121mg sodium

Recipe provided by Joanne Saltzman, author of <i>Intuitive Cooking</i> (Book Publishing, 2006), and founder of the School of Natural Cookery in Boulder, Colorado (www.naturalcookery.com).