Today is soup day at my house. I love soup days! Day off from a life wearing many 'hats'.
Pots of warming, nourishing soup simmering on the stove, a promise of 'winter health', ready to go! Healing soup time? NOW!
I use the same “pack of healers”-- onions, garlic, ginger, horseradish, cayenne -- when making most winter soups. It's all a very personal choice, just how they are combined. I've been using all of these for many years and am now able to tolerate more 'heat' than, say, 5 years ago, just by increasing the cayenne or the horseradish a little each time I make healing soup & winter stews.
The most important aspects of this healing soup?
The combination of supportive, powerful warming herbs. Everything else is optional.
Buy local when you can; buy organic whenever possible.
AVOID purchasing food from countries renowned for irradiating food. I make it a habit to buy from local farmers markets whenever I can, before going to supermarkets. The MOST important thing, here, is to make conscious choices as much as possible. The 'healing soup' as it's now known as, by friends & family, is almost always available at a moment's notice, courtesy of some advance planning & my freezer. Nutritious soups are so "IN"!! Here's a healing soup recipe that's that's as much a medicine as a food, without a doubt.
This recipe is just a guide.
The ingredients are anti-viral, anti-bacterial & immune-boosting.
Whether you feel like you need it or not; it's delicious and a VERY good idea!
HEALING SOUP
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 to 3 onions chopped
- 10 to 12 garlic cloves peeled
- Bone Broth or Chicken stock organic – 6-8 cups (or substitute Vegetable stock)
- 1 cup grated horseradish root
- 2- inch piece gingerroot grated
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Sea salt
- Black pepper freshly ground
- 2 cups combination of chopped celery carrots, parsnips, corn, and peas
- Optional: 4 cups cooked bite-sized pieces of chicken (free-range or organic preferred)
NOTE
- For those not 'acclimatized' to Horseradish perhaps use ½ cup initially.
- My 'extra ingredients' are listed below; added when the mood strikes!
Instructions
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In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil and add onions; saute until tender.
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Add 1 to 2 crushed garlic cloves at the beginning, but keep most until the very end to ensure garlic’s medicine is intact.
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Add the chicken stock, horseradish, ginger, cayenne and a dash of salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes.
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Add the vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes.
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Add the cooked chicken, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings.
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Add the remaining garlic and serve.
Recipe Notes
ADDITIONAL ideas ~ sometimes I add ALL of them ! (Why NOT?):
Hot Sauce, 1-2 tsp
Dijon Mustard, 1 tbsp
Hot Pepper Flakes, 1 tbsp
½ lemon, added half way through cooking time and 'fished' out at the end.
1 cup good quality water (to stretch the broth)
Turmeric powder, 1-2 tbsp
Paprika, Hot, Spanish, 1-2 tsp
ANY herb or spice to change up the flavour... Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Parsley..
It's you our choice.
Ginger & Turmeric roots
QUICKIE VERSION HEALING SOUP
Ingredients
- Garlic
- Onions
- Ginger root
- Horseradish if not whole root, prepared pure, in jar
- Cayenne pepper
- Hot pepper flakes
- Bone Broth or Vegetable or Chicken stock
Instructions
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Just chop up the onions and garlic.
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Add to a pot with a little olive oil. Save most of the garlic until later.
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Grate ginger & Horseradish if using fresh and add to pot.
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Otherwise, use good quality versions in glass jars.
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Add the stock and combine all the ingredients in pot.
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Simmer. Add the remaining garlic at the end.....
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Add any of the 'additional ideas' above.
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Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
AND… if no fresh horseradish in the vicinity, the version in the jar IS an alternative.. Warming for the chest, lungs + respiratory system.
Gotta LOVE this SOUP! TRY IT! I like to make enough for my family and friends to last a while.
Would love to hear about your favourite soups for inspiring health this winter!!
Here's to our health -- Until next time! Carol xo
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