Whenever I feel a bit congested, start sneezing and coughing a lot, or basically feel like
I’m coming down with a cold, I don’t panic.
I know exactly what to do.
I head sraight to my healing kitchen and dig out all of my trusty cold-busting foods to get
ready to cook up a pot of my ‘go-to’ favorite immunity-boosting, symptom-soothing soup.
I usually improvise this home remedy from whatever potent foods and ingredients I have on hand.
This kind of concoction is not new, of course.
These common ingredients have been used for centuries by people all over the world.
Unfortunately, we have become so accustomed to calling the doctor or running to the store
to purchase over the counter cold medicines the moment we feel sick, that it has become less
common to use what we have in our kitchens to make natural remedies that can often make
a difference in how we feel.
This soup is an all natural homemade remedy that can be eaten daily or at the onset of a cold or flu.
Fresh, organic ingredients help to naturally boost your immune system, fight your cold’s progression
and ease those miserable symptoms once you have them.
What’s more, these are commonly found in most kitchens and boast long traditions as remedies for
systemic and local infections.
For example:
–Onion helps detoxify your body naturally.
–Garlic is a natural antibiotic and helps to promote sweating–which is very important if
you are experiencing cold-and-flu-like symptoms.
–Ginger is antiviral, anti-inflammatory, a natural circulatory stimulant, a powerful decongestant
and it has been found to be effective against human respiratory virus.
–Kombu
Kombu and other sea vegetables are rich in minerals and help to strengthen the blood.
–Parsley is a blood purifier, helps kill bacteria in the body and is high in vitamin C and iron.
-Raw, organic ,unfiltered apple cider vinegar is a powerful weapon in the fight against cold and flu
symptoms because it is rich in enzymes and potassium, helps to reduce sinus infections and sore
throats, promotes good digestion and helps to regulate elimination.
Vinegar has infection-fighting properties and supports a healthy immune system.
My Immunity Boosting Cold and Flu Soup
Ingredients:
6-10 cloves of organic garlic
6 large yellow and red organic onions
6 stalks of organic celery
A large handful of organic parsley
3-4 organic carrots
1 strip Kombu seaweed
1/2 cup of organic, unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Celtic or Himalyan Sea Salt to taste
3 tablespoons red pepper flakes
10 cups of filtered or spring water
2 tablespoons organic cold-pressed olive oil (optional)
Directions:
Add the water to a large soup pot.
Peel and chop the garlic and allow it to sit for 30 minutes.
Peel and wash the vegetables.
Chop the onions, celery, carrots and parsley.
Soak kombu 3-5 minutes, slice in half, then slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces.
Add the kombu, sea salt and apple cider vinegar.
Bring to a boil, then simmer for at least an hour.
I usually sprinkle in red pepper flakes after the soup is done.
(If using olive oil, I also prefer to add olive oil after the soup is cooked.)
Other potent ingredients that I sometimes like to add include:
*Cayenne pepper
*Tumeric
*Fresh lemon juice
*Horseradish
*Daikon
*Miso
Even though you are dying to dig into this cold-busting tonic, I have found
that it is best to leave the pot of soup covered for an hour on the stove
before dishing it up.
As you savor this delicious bouquet of flavors, you’ll find that the healing blend
lubricates your throat, soothes your chest, makes you sweat and even warms your soul.
Plus, drinking soup adds to your fluid intake–which is essential to the healing process.
Take it from me, I had a cold last week and this soup helped to break up my congestion,
ease my coughing, and relieve some of the other unpleasant symptoms typically associated
with cold and flu.
What are your favorite cold and flu-soothing soups and remedies? Share your tips with us.
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“This post is shared on Healing with Food Friday”
“This post is also shared on Mostly Homemade Mondays”
“This post is also shared on Thank Goodness It’s Monday”
“Shared on Real Food Wednesdays at Kelly the KichenKop”
“Shared on Party Wave Wednesdays at Holistic Squid”
“Shared on Whole Foods Wednesday at This Chick Cooks”
“Shared on Wildcrafting Wednesdays at HerbanMomma”
“Shared on Wellness Wednesdays”
Sounds delicious! I’d love to try this sometime!
Wow…this sounds UhMaaaZing! Thank you for sharing this on the *Mostly* Homemade Mondays blog hop. I will be featuring this recipe as a favorite for the week. I can’t wait to make some!
Hope to see you back this week, Deborah,
Jess
Hi Jess,
I am thrilled that you like my immunity-boosting soup. And I am blown away that you plan to feature this recipe as a favorite for the week! I truly appreciate your kind words and your support. Have fun making and eating it! I bet you’ll put your own spin on it as well. That’s always the fun part.
Love this! I’m pinning this because cold and flu season will soon be upon us 🙂 Thank you for sharing this at Wellness Wednesdays!
Hi Trisha,
I am so glad that you liked and pinned this cold and flu soup. Thank you so much for sharing your comments and for your support!
Hi Pat,
I am so pleased to hear that you are going to try to talk to yourself “in the looking glass”. Actually, I love your choice of words. Good luck with your self talk efforts. I sincerely hope that you make a little magic of your own! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me. I really appreciate it.
Looks like a great recipe. The only thing I don’t have on hand is the seaweed so might be worth getting some for those times when sickness strikes. Thanks again for sharing at Healing With Food Friday. This will be a featured post this next week. See you at the next one.