This Camille Kostek Recipe Is Great for a Fall Date Night

Camille Kostek has been showing off her impressive skills in the kitchen lately, but, for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, cooking is not about being perfect or becoming a Michelin-starred chef. It’s a pursuit in the name of self-care. “It's therapeutic; it’s time unplugged away from your phone,” she says. “It’s self-love when I’m in the kitchen making good hearty, healthy foods. It’s just fun and enjoyable.” It’s also where she and boyfriend Rob Gronkowski get to bond. “It’s something that Rob and I love to do together,” she adds. “I lay out all the things. We cut and peel together. We wash and we chop.”

Image courtesy of Camille Kostek

The Dancing With Myself host prefers printed cookbooks than reading recipe instructions off her phone and chooses between an array of vegan recipes or meals that are healthy and good. “I love that part about cooking too,” she notes. “It’s just experimenting and making healthy things taste delicious and knowing the goodness it’s doing for you.”

Her go-to meal for all seasons is a soup that the couple usually eats for lunch and dinner throughout the week with ingredients that vary depending on what vegetables are in the house. “Making a big pot of soup for the week is a great way to have a healthy, tasty lunch or dinner without any prep time. It’s food for the soul,” she shares. “[The other night] we just put some music on and Ralphie ate all the celery and the carrots that accidentally fell on the floor. It was just a cute little family bonding time – some music, some good vibes, some good food. Putting love into food does make it taste better.” Check out her Soup for the Soul recipe that will have you going back for seconds.

Camille’s Soup for the Soul

Ingredients:

• Garlic bulb
• Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• Fresh sage leaves
• Water
• Himalayan salt
• Sweet potato
• Celery
• Carrots
• Swiss chard
• Chickpeas
• Zucchini
• Squash

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with water a quarter of the way to start to make your broth. Toss in about 3 or 4 garlic cloves.
2. Add in some olive oil and Himalayan salt and 2 or 3 sage leaves. Leave this on low/medium heat while tossing in your favorite vegetables to make your soup.
3. Wash, peel and chop your veggies while the water starts to boil. As you add in each of your favorite veggies, add a little more salt and oil. (It’s always better to add less! You can always add more at the end when tasting before serving!)
4. Continue to stir the pot and check on the softness of your veggies until they feel ready to enjoy.

One last tip from Camille: “To really enjoy your soup like I do, add a dollop of Kite Hill chive cream cheese on top and let it melt into the soup for extra flavor! I hope you love this year-round soup as much as I do! Enjoy!”