Best Soup for a Cold: Kale, Sweet Potato and Turmeric Cure-a-Cold Soup
Give your immune system a boost to fight off that cold with a warm bowl of gingery green soup, packed with immune supporting ingredients like ginger, turmeric, kale and garlic! It’s the best soup for a cold!
Does it seem like everyone is sick right now? We hosted supper club this Sunday and about half the people there were just getting over something, myself included. Of course, now the other half are probably currently sick from being in my germ infested house. Sorry guys. Hope the coq au vin was worth it!
Whenever I catch a cold, it usually runs it's course in a couple days, but this one has lingered almost a week. Yesterday morning I was fed up after I woke up feeling congested and groggy yet again. So, I decided to whip up a soup with all the immune supporting ingredients!
Although I do still believe in the curative powers of chicken noodle soup, I wanted to take this recipe in a different direction. I chose this recipe from 101 Cookbooks as a base, which I've had stashed in a binder for years only to stumble across it again last week. Perfect timing, no?
This soup basically has every food known to enhance immune function packed into a bowl making it pretty much the best soup for a cold. Okay, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but it definitely has it's fair share of cold and flu fighters! Here's a look at what's inside:
Green leafy veggies
Citrus fruit is probably what comes to mind when you think of vitamin C, but green leafies are a pretty good source too. Green leafy vegetables have also been shown to help lymphocytes, a type of immune cell, function properly. In addition to vitamin C, kale also contains ANOTHER antioxidant, vitamin A. Antioxidants help reduce the free radicals in your body by donating an electron, to make them balanced or “happy”. This is a good thing because a build up of free radicals causes more oxidative stress and more damage to your bodies cells.
Ginger
Ginger tea is one of my favorite tricks for a sore throat. I'm actually drinking it as I type! This gingery broth helps soothe a sore throat. Plus, ginger is an effective way to reduce nausea, so this light, brothy soup would be perfect if you've got a stomach flu. Ginger is also believed to have anti-microbial potential meaning it may actually help to fight off infections. This review article explains that ginger contains substances such as gingerols, shogaol, and paradols that can prevent cancers.
Garlic
Garlic has been used medicinally for years to treat everything from gangrene to the plague. However, there's actual scientific evidence showing garlic's benefits for colds. One study found people who take garlic supplements were less likely to catch a cold, and those who did actually recovered faster. The active ingredient in garlic is called S-allyl cysteine and it has anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and nootropic potential — in other words, great for your body and mind!
Turmeric
Powerfully anti-inflammatory turmeric is fantastic for immune system support. It helps to boost a protein called CAMP, which helps the immune system fight bacteria and viruses. The active compounds in turmeric are called curcuminoids, the main one being curcumin, which what holds the medicinal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
So, how do I feel now? My fingers may be permanently stained yellow from turmeric, but I feel much better! If you're feeling under the weather, I'm sending healing thoughts your way and a warm bowl of the best soup for a cold!
This recipe for the best soup for a cold has been updated to give you the best content possible.
Best Soup for a Cold: Kale, Sweet Potato and Turmeric Cure-a-Cold Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
Soup:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large leek, white and pale green parts chopped
3 tablespoons minced ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Add onion, leek and a pinch of salt, and saute until lightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic and turmeric, and saute until translucent, about a minute.
Stir in sweet potatoes and kale. Pour in broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
Stir in lemon juice and soy sauce. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
if you like this Best Soup for a Cold recipe, you might also like these other soup recipes:
Three Bean Tortellini Minestrone
Instant Pot Vegan Mushroom Barley Soup with Pumpkin Recipe
Simple Roasted Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup
