Posted in Yummy Recipes

So many families have been suffering from colds and flu-like syptoms lately.  Here is a website was developed by a homeschool family as a business venture and a way to introduce people to the edible and medicinal properties of herbs.  The site is called Learning Herbs

You can take a virtual herb walk and also a 7-day e-course about herbs.  Below is a recipe from learningherbs.com called the "Immune Soup".  I made a soup very similar to this in the late fall of this year and it put me back on my feet in a matter of days, why I didn't make some last week is beyond me! 

Immune Soup

• 8 cups (237 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bulb garlic (at least 10 cloves), minced
• One 1 1⁄2 inch (3 1⁄2 cm) piece of fresh gingerroot grated
• 1 1⁄2 cups salted vegetable soup stock (I use chicken broth)
• 5 pieces sliced dried Astragalus Root
• 2 cups fresh, sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 large reishi mushroom
• cayenne powder, if desired

Now, you can make variations. You can cut out the reishi if you cannot find it.

You can buy dried reishi mushrooms at Mountain Rose Herbs.  Shiitake mushrooms are amazing for the immune system and are available at most supermarkets.  Astagalus, as well as the mushrooms, are available at Asian groceries (as Huang qi), BUT you can also buy astragalus here (root, not the powder). Mountain Rose Herbs is a high quality, reputable herb company.  I always have a big jar of astragalus root by my stove. I throw a few pieces in practically every soup and tea I make. It is the main herb you think about for “herbal immune system nourishment.”  Oh….back to the recipe!

1. Bring water to boil in large pot.
2. Heat olive oil, sauté garlic, onions, and ginger until soft and aromatic. Add contents of skillet to water. Add broth, shiitake, astragalus, and reishi. Simmer covered for two hours.
3. Remove from heat, allow to sit for two more hours.
4. Remove astragalus and reishi mushrooms. Reheat.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, and cayenne powder if desired. (just enough to bring out a light sweat)

At this point, I also usually add a bit of miso.