The Healing Soups I Ate Every Night at The Gut Health Retreat in Austria

Why soup is always the final meal at Mayrlife — & the surprising benefits of ending your day light

If you’ve been following along, you know I recently spent a week at Mayrlife — the medical-grade wellness retreat in Austria that quietly attracts beauty editors, wellness guru’s, celebs, functional medicine insiders, and anyone serious about getting rid of inflammation and healing their gut.

It’s not a juice fast. And it’s definitely not one of those buzzy detoxes that leaves you starving and moody. It’s real food, real science, and a totally different way of eating that honestly made me rethink how I fuel my body. Everything at Mayrlife is designed to lower inflammation, reset digestion, and help your nervous system actually chill.

There’s testing, supplements, movement, facials, massages… but the part that stuck with me most?

The eating method. Soup. Every single night. At 5:30 p.m.

Dinner is the lightest meal of the day at Mayrlife. The logic? You’re supporting circadian digestion and giving your body a break from heavy evening meals that burden the liver and keep the system working late into the night. The kitchen prepares one warm, deeply nourishing, always-vegan soup per night — no garlic, no onion, no fruit, no aggressive spices. Just medicinal ingredients, gentle flavors, and a silky, pure texture that leaves you feeling calm, clear, and (oddly) satisfied.

There’s no à la carte dining at Mayrlife. Every single guest is on a personalized program and eats according to the protocol assigned by their doctor. The restaurant is for clinic guests only, and every meal is carefully plated and portioned. No modifications. No second servings. It’s like a wellness boarding school for adults — structured, intentional, and strangely luxurious.

Below are three that completely won me over — and ones I’ve started making on repeat at home. They’re all:

• Vegan

• Gluten-free

• Paleo-friendly

• Onion-free and garlic-free

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Golden Turmeric Gut-Healing Soup

Inspired by the daily “curcuma soup” at Mayrlife

Serves 4 | Prep + Cook Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

Potato Base

• 5 small floury potatoes, peeled and chopped

• Homemade vegetable broth or Bone Broth (enough to cover the potatoes)

Turmeric Base

• 500 ml full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

• 2 tsp turmeric powder (or 1 tsp powder + 1 tsp turmeric paste)

• 2–3 sticks lemongrass, lightly crushed

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• ½ tsp fennel seeds

• 2 pods black cardamom (optional but traditional in Mayr-style cooking)

• 1 tbsp coconut oil

• Juice of ½ lemon or a splash of lemon balm tea

• Sea salt, to taste

• Optional: 1 tbsp Omega-3 oil (chia, flaxseed or linseed), fresh herbs to serve

Method:

1. Make the potato base:

   Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks for quicker cooking. Place in a pot, cover with filtered water or vegetable broth, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain and blend into a smooth purée. Add water as needed to get a silky but thick texture — this is the base that will make the soup rich without cream.

2. Create the turmeric base:

   In a separate large pot, heat coconut oil over low to medium heat. Add the grated ginger, crushed lemongrass, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, and black cardamom. Let everything toast gently for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning. The key here is low heat — you want to infuse the oil, not fry the spices.

3. Stir in the turmeric powder and cook for another 30 seconds. Then add the coconut milk and bring to a low simmer. Let the flavors infuse for at least 10 minutes. Don’t skip this — the longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor.

4. Strain the turmeric coconut milk through a fine mesh sieve to remove the fibrous lemongrass and spice seeds. Return to the pot.

5. Add your blended potato purée to the strained turmeric base and whisk until completely combined. Adjust thickness by adding water or broth to your desired consistency.

6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of lemon balm tea for brightness. Season to taste with salt. Just before serving, stir in your omega-3 oil and top with finely chopped parsley or cilantro.

Tip: This soup reheats beautifully the next day, and thickens as it sits. Add hot water to loosen if needed.

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Broccoli, Zucchini & Almond Soup

This one has the dreamiest texture. Think: creamy without cream, rich without being heavy. The almonds make it so velvety.

Serves: 4

Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 300g broccoli florets

• 2 medium zucchinis (about 300g), sliced

• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced

• 700mL vegetable stock

• 50g soaked and skinned almonds (or 2 tbsp plain almond butter)

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Sea salt & white pepper, to taste

• Fresh parsley or lemon thyme (optional, for garnish)

Method:

1. In a large pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery and cook for about 3 minutes, until slightly softened.

2. Add the broccoli, zucchini, almonds (or almond butter), and stock. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

3. Blend the soup until completely smooth. The almonds make it incredibly creamy, so be patient and let it fully emulsify.

4. Season with sea salt and white pepper. Serve hot, garnished with fresh herbs and a light drizzle of olive oil.

Steph’s tip: If using whole almonds, soak them in hot water for a few hours and peel the skins for the smoothest blend. Almond butter is the easy shortcut.

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Creamy Cauliflower & Fennel Soup

A velvety, ultra-light digestive reset

Serves 4 | Prep + Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium cauliflower (600 g), cut into florets

• 1 fennel bulb (approx. 200 g), thinly sliced

• 2 carrots, peeled and diced

• 1 L low-sodium vegetable stock (or filtered water with sea salt)

• 200 ml full-fat coconut cream

• 2 tbsp olive oil or cold-pressed avocado oil

• 1 tsp ground turmeric

• Sea salt + white pepper, to taste

• Chives, dill, or parsley (for garnish)

Method:

1. Start with a gentle sauté:

   In a heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add diced carrots and fennel. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized — this builds depth even without onions or garlic.

2. Add cauliflower florets and turmeric. Stir until everything is coated in the oil and spice.

3. Pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft enough to mash with a spoon.

4. Blend until creamy:

   Use an immersion blender directly in the pot, or transfer in batches to a high-speed blender. Blend until luxuriously smooth.

5. Stir in the coconut cream and reheat gently (don’t boil). Season with sea salt and white pepper to taste.

6. Serve in warm bowls with a drizzle of olive oil and fresh herbs for that Mayrlife finish.

Steph Tip: Garnish with extra fennel fronds if you have them — they add a beautiful finish and help with digestion.

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Why Mayrlife Soups Work

They’re not just gentle — they’re purposeful. By eliminating known inflammatory triggers (onion, garlic, gluten, dairy, legumes, sugar, fruit, tomatoes), each recipe becomes a therapeutic tool for your gut lining. The soups are:

• Easily digestible

• Alkalizing

• Balancing to blood sugar

• Designed to work with the parasympathetic state (aka your rest-and-digest mode)

And eating soup for dinner? It’s not deprivation. It’s luxury, disguised as simplicity.

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Let me know if you want more of these recipes — I have a few more from my Mayrlife notebook, and honestly, I could eat like this forever.

Coming soon: what I eat following MayrLife, herbal teas I’ve been drinking, and digestion-friendly morning elixirs.

xx

Steph