Flu-Fighting Soup

A lot of times the content I produce for this blog and my segments is food that I don’t eat as a meal. Let’s face it, you’ve seen a lot of cookies and cupcakes around here. And contrary to popular belief, I don’t just go and eat those treats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s why it’s extra special when my recipe becomes my meals for the week, as was the case this week for this flu-fighting soup.

To be completely honest, I was shocked by how wonderful this soup tasted. I expected it to be good, but I couldn’t believe how much the individual flavor profiles within the soup stood out. You can really taste the ginger and the lime and the cilantro, but it all blends so well together.

I’ve eaten this every single day for the past week now, and I haven’t gotten tired of it.

What really makes this soup so special is the fact that I created it using ingredients known to fight off flu and colds. Those ingredients include ginger, garlic, onion, turmeric, and mushrooms. If you google search “What to eat to get rid of flu,” those are the ingredients that repeatedly appear, so I really recommend making this soup at the first sign of a cold.

Flu-Fighting Soup
Yield: Makes about 10 servings
Ingredients

• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup mushrooms (I used canned, whole mushrooms, but it’s your preference)
• 6 scallions (or about 1/2 bunch), chopped
• 2 cloves garlic (about 2 teaspoons), minced
• 3 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded
• 1 (8 ounce) box brown rice noodles
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Optional: Avocado, limes, or more cilantro for serving

Directions

1. Heat large soup pot to medium heat with a little bit of oil; add carrots and sauté until soft, or about 5 minutes
2. Add red pepper and mushrooms, and sauté for another two minutes
3. Add scallions, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for one minute
4. Add red curry paste and turmeric and sauté for 30 more seconds
5. Pour in chicken broth, coconut milk, and lime juice; bring to boil then reduce to simmer
6. Add chicken and noodles and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until noodles are al dente
7. Right before serving, stir in cilantro
8. Serve soup with sliced avocado, lime wedges, or more cilantro

Slow Cooker Version

If you want to adapt this recipe for a slow cooker, simply dump all ingredients except chicken, noodles, and cilantro in slow cooker and cook on low for about 6 hours. You may want to microwave your carrots for about a minute first just to make sure they're soft enough.

Once the 6 hours is up, add chicken and noodles and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes in the slow cooker, or until the noodles are al dente. Right before serving, stir in the cilantro.