It's that time of the year when almost everybody is sniffling and can be seen with a tissue box. Meat eaters have chicken soup as a magic potion to feel better and comfort themselves. So what's the option for us vegetarians in times like this?
The answer is "stinking rose" aka immune booster garlic. Include it in your diet as much as possible to not only fight this year's flu but also because it is an antioxidant, keeps your blood pressure under check, lowers cholesterol, and slows down the progress of cancerous cell growth to mention just a few.
I always make it a point to include a lot of garlic, especially in my soup recipes, so I was thrilled to see a soup recipe which actually highlights its flavor and benefits.
I found this recipe in the Vitality magazine. People in Canada, don't forget to pick up a copy whenever you are in the library or any natural health food store.
Getting quality information about health and related issues for free should not be missed. I also learned from the article that it is best to consume garlic crushed and raw or when cooked minimally. That's why crushed garlic is added just before serving in this soup recipe.
Because not everyone likes garlic flavor, I have mentioned that it's optional, but I highly suggest including it as instructed in the recipe. Since I'm not a person who follows a recipe as it is, I used quinoa instead of lentils and included a good bunch of kale to boost the nutrition even more.
Recipe
Flu-Fighter Garlic Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
- 1 big onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 big carrot finely chopped
- 5 mushroom caps, finely chopped, (I used cremini)
- ¼ cup coriander finely chopped
- ½ cup quinoa rinsed
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 6 cups vegetable broth or water
- salt, pepper and crushed red chili flakes to taste
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 cup kale finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
Substitutions:
- quinoa = lentils
- kale = spinach or swiss chard
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pan heat oil and saute the onions, turmeric powder, red chili flakes, and garlic. Add a little salt so that the onions will cook faster.
- Add the carrots, mushrooms, coriander, and fry for a few minutes.
- Stir in the rinsed quinoa and vegetable broth/water. Add more salt and pepper and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked. If you feel that the quinoa has absorbed a lot of water making a stew-like consistency add some more broth/water. Switch off the stove.
- Stir in the chopped kale and minced garlic if using. The heat will wilt the greens.
My Notes
- Lentils can be used instead of quinoa; in that case, the cooking time would be about 35-40 minutes. Using a pressure cooker would reduce the cooking time.
- I used no-salt-added homemade vegetable broth. So used about 1.25 teaspoons of salt to the soup, which is reflected in the sodium content in the chart below. If you use store-bought vegetable broth the sodium content will vary.
Nutrition
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frankie says
Hii I am making this now! What heat setting do you set it at? And do you put a lid on? thank you
Madhuram says
Hi Frankie, I have an electric stove and I keep it at 4 which is the middle. I don't put a lid on because sometimes it overflows and cleaning is a mess.
Keron Hopkins says
I made this recipe, and it was amazing.
Madhuram says
Thank you very much, Keron.
Betty Sue says
WOW this is so good! Made it with lentils and added tomatoes (we had some on hand). I didn't think that such a simple recipe could be so good but am glad to be proven wrong. My husband raved about this dinner and we plan to double it next time and freeze the leftovers! TY for such a great soup!
Madhuram says
Thank you very much, Betty Sue. I'm so happy that you and your husband loved this soup.
Nicole says
Wow! This soup is absolutely amazing! I used better than bullion vegetable concentrate for the broth and lentils since I was out of quinoa and it turned out perfect! The only this I would change is doubling or tripling the recipe next time I make it lol. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Madhuram says
You're most welcome, Nicole.
Carly says
I have been making this soup for over 5 years now, and will probably be making it for the rest of my life. It's the first thing I make when I begin to feel under the weather, and rely on it as my main source of nourishment as whatever illness I'm feeling runs its course. It's warm and soothing on the sinuses, full of nutrients, and encourages me to drink water to help balance the strong and effective garlic flavour. It's one of those things I can eat even when my appetite is suffering ❤️
Madhuram says
Thank you so much for your generous feedback, Carly.
Stacey says
Woke up with a sore throat this morning and made this soup to help soothe it. Easy to make and full of nutritious goodness. I like a little bit of heat so I used a little more red pepper flakes and added some grated ginger to it as well. It was delicious, this will be my go to soup whenever I’m feeling under the weather.
Madhuram says
I appreciate your detailed feedback, Stacey. Thank you very much. Yes, red pepper flakes and grated ginger will do the trick. For my soup I add a bit more to my bowl. Two weeks back I made a huge batch of this soup because husband and my eldest son had severe throat and this helped them a lot.
Helena Pontes says
Amazing recipe! I will do it again. Super easy and yummy.
Madhuram says
Thank you, Helena.
Sara says
I love this soup soo much!!! It’s so simple yet so tasty! Definetley will be something I make regularly.
Madhuram says
Thank you, Sara.
Helen says
I’ve been making this for about a year now - it’s one of my favourite recipes. I always have a few jars stashed in the freezer. So tasty!
Madhuram says
Thank you, Helen.
Kirby says
I love this recipe one of the best simplest things I’ve ever made and I will make again and again!
Madhuram says
Thank you for trying the recipe and for the feedback, Kirby.
Dimple Bhagat says
Delicious! I made this and substituted zucchini for the mushrooms as that it what I had in the fridge. Very versatile recipe. Don’t skip the garlic at the end as it adds so much flavour. Thank you so much, definitely making me feel much better.
Madhuram says
You're very welcome, Dimple.