How to Make an Immune System Boosting Soup

Introduction

During cold and flu season, soup can not only help you feel better while you're sick, it can help prevent sickness too. This recipe takes the homey comfort of chicken noodle soup and boosts the nutritional value by adding immune system herbs such as garlic, stinging nettle, burdock root, and shiitake mushrooms.

I like to cook this soup when everyone around me seems to be sick and I know my immune system can use the extra help. Drinking a cup of green tea with it can also boost the immune system benefits. Does it work? Over the past four years, I've had only one cold.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You'll Need

• 2 tbsp. cold pressed olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 pint
• shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken
• 1/2 cup whole wheat orzo or other small whole wheat pasta
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 2 tbsp. dried burdock root
• 1 tbsp. dried stinging nettle leaves
• 1 tsp. dried dill leaves
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• salt to taste
• pinch of cayenne pepper to taste

Steps

1

Step One

Set a large soup pan to medium high heat and add olive oil. Let olive oil heat for a minute or two, and then add onion and garlic. Sautee for two minutes, then add the carrots and celery.

2

Step Two

Lower the heat to medium and sautee everything for an additional 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and chicken and sautee again for 2 minutes.

3

Step Three

Add the orzo, chicken stock, burdock root, stinging nettle, dill, oregano, basil, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Cover and raise the heat to medium high. Cook until the soup is boiling, and then simmer it on low for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

4

Step Four

A few minutes before it's finished, you can taste it to make sure there is enough salt and pepper. You also may want to adjust some of the other seasonings. You can serve this by itself or with a salad and bread.

Tips & Warnings

• Always use organic vegetables when possible.
• Find the best quality herbs you can.
• Use organic, free range, grain fed chicken that doesn't have any growth hormones or antibiotics injected into it.
• Never wash mushrooms—just dust any dirt off with a damp towel or a pastry brush. Washing can make them taste waterlogged.