from Nicole Maxwell, NMD
Make this a part of your regular diet or give your immune system a boost when it needs it. Ginger has warming qualities that can help heat you from the inside-out making it an ideal ingredient for immune support foods. Ginger is indicated
for cold and congestive conditions with digestive or respiratory debility. Garlic provides immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Onions are high in vitamin C and provide fructans, food for the beneficial bacteria in your colon. Shiitake improves human immunity in part through increased sIgA production. Lemon is packed with vitamin C and other electrolytes. Parsley is packed with beneficial nutrients, essential oils and antioxidants.
This recipe comes from Dr. William Mitchell, NMD at www.bastyr.edu.
Ingredients
1 quart chicken broth (or substitute mushroom or miso broth/paste – you
can find these at your local health food store)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 clove cloves garlic, crushed and chopped (or more to taste)
1 each carrot, grated
4 each fresh Shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or more to taste)
1-3 tbsp ginger root, grated (or more to taste)
1 each fresh lemon, juiced
3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
Bring the broth, onion, garlic, carrot, mushrooms and ginger root to a slow boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; add the lemon juice and parsley. Cover and steep, off the heat, for 5 minutes. Eat and enjoy!
Notes:
For a five-serving batch, you can use up to 10 cloves of garlic, up to 8 shiitake mushrooms or up to 3 tablespoons ginger, depending on your preference. You can start the soup with half the total garlic you desire; then crush the remaining cloves, adding them with the lemon juice at the end. This retains more of the immune modulating constituents.