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.
Flu-Fighter Garlic Soup Recipe |
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Makes |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Mins | 25 Mins | 5 Servings |
| Author | Category | Method |
| Madhuram | Soups | Cooking |
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 big onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 big carrot, finely chopped
- 5 mushroom caps, finely chopped (I used cremini)
- 1/4 cup coriander, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 6 cups water or vegetable broth
- salt, pepper and crushed red chili flakes to taste
- 1 cup kale, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- quinoa - lentils
- kale - spinach, swiss chard
- 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.
- 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.
| Calories: 196.6 Total Fat: 9.7 g Saturated fat: 1.2 g Unsaturated fat: 7.3 g Cholesterol: 0.0 mg Total Carbohydrate: 24.2 g | Sugars: 5.2 g Dietary Fiber: 3.0 g Protein: 4.2 g Sodium: 650 mg Potassium: 207.9 mg |
Just made this in very little time, messed around with the quantities a little bit but the end result was delicious. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Seb.
I made this a few days ago… I half the recipe and used 2 cups mushroom broth (as that’s all I had) 1 cup water. I didn’t have coriander. I used pure tumeric as that’s all I had on hand. Followed everything else, just halfing the measurements.
Turned out amazing ! Even my daughter loved it! Comforting soup when sick.
Good recipe. Thanks.
You’re most welcome, Laura.
[…] Flu-Fighter Garlic Soup Recipe […]
I am making this soup every time we are ill. This time we all have Covid and decided to make it again. Instead 1/8 teaspoons of turmeric I added 1/8 cup of it Covid brain not gonna waste it – just drained everything, saved the liquid and will diluted it with some water.
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Saga.
this is wonderful! i served mine with fresh avocado. just what I needed to feel better!
That’s great to know, Katie.
Thank you for the recipe!
You’re welcome, Marguerite.
This was super easy to make. I am sick from a headache, cough and fever. I had all the ingredients and had the soup for Lunch. It was tasty! Thank you for the recipe.
You’re most welcome, Tay.
This was amazing. Very delicious. I used baby Bella mushrooms though.
Thank you for the feedback, MaryLynn.
This soup was a life saver!!! I had covid and this soup helped my recovery immensely!! So tasty and healthy I loved it!!
I’m glad that this soup helped you with your recovery, Starsha. Thank you for letting me know.
A fine soup, despite my use of a lot of ground coriander (but not quite the one quarter cup amount called for in the recipe). I believe that the author may have meant 1/4 cup of cilantro leaves, rather than coriander, based on the info in the comments section. Still pretty tasty with lots of garlic, and a combination of quinoa and farro!
Yes, I meant cilantro, Anthony. Truly sorry for the confusion. Back in India we are used to referring to cilantro as coriander leaves. Will check and edit the recipe.
Excellent, easy, and delicious recipe! Made it the first time and followed every step. Made it again and loosely followed the recipe based on what I had in my fridge. I always pre make my quinoa before adding it to the soup, I feel like it doesn’t absorb all the liquid that way. Make a double batch, some to freeze, and some to drop off to sick friends!!
Thank you very much, Stacey, for the comment. Using cooked quinoa is a wonderful idea.
Feeling pretty crappy today so I was looking for some comfort. This soup really fit the bill. I did make some changes based on what I had available. I had no mushrooms in hand so I doubled the carrots, I used spinach in place of kale, I used 1/2 tsp of turmeric (the more the better in my opinion) and I added the juice of half a lemon when I added the spinach. I am feeling better already!
Thank you very much, Sherri! Great to know that you are feeling better.
Amazing..its very simple and tasteful
Thank you, Jai.
I tried this soup today and my Husband and daughter both liked a lot. My daughter follows AIP diet and this one was perfect for her diet.
Thank You so much!
By the way ..I added Green cabbage , such a versatile soup that you add any vegetables and still taste yummm
Thank you, Megha.
You’re very welcome, Megha. Thank you for the feedback.
If I don’t have fresh coriander, how much can I use of ground coriander?
Fresh coriander gives an amazing flavor and fragrance to the soup that cannot be imitated by ground coriander. You can just omit it.
Is the chopped coriander just cilantro chopped?
I have only used cilantro raw before.
Yes. In India, we call cilantro, coriander. So sometimes I use that word.
I came across this recipe about a year ago when my partner was sick. I’m not a vegan, but this soup has to be one of my favourite soups I’ve ever eaten (I always use lentils). I make it quite often, but never when I’m sick… because I haven’t been sick since I’ve started making it…
Thank you very much, Sebastien.
This is such a simple recipe and made a quick lunch. It is also very versatile. I had to make a few substitutions based on what I had (celery instead of mushrooms, dried coriander, chicken stock) and also added in some fresh thyme and parsley. We all had two bowls!
Thanks for the feedback, Kylie.
Does it need to be refrigerated if used the same day ?
You mean, if not used the same day? Yes in that case.
[…] This vegan soup is from Eggless Cooking is especially for the flu season when our immune system needs a boost to fight cough, cold and flu. Garlic is always recommended when you are afflicted with flu, not only it is full of vitamins that help you immune system, it is also known to prevent cancer and control blood pressure levels. Click here for the full recipe. […]
[…] Recipe: https://www.egglesscooking.com/flu-fighter-garlic-soup-recipe/ […]
This soup is so easy to make and it is delicious! Even my 2 year old loves it! I added 1 celery, 1 potato, 1 ginger thumb, lentils, spinach at the end, and subbed 2 cups of water instead of broth so 4 cups broth +2 cups water. I also added a beef boullion because my veggie broth from the store was low sodium. Paired it with a cheesy garlic bread! Definitely perfect for winter days. Thank you so much!
You’re very welcome, Yesenia. I’m glad that your little one loved it too!
I’m fighting off a cold and had bookmarked this soup previously so I tried it out. Delicious!! This is an immune boost in a bowl. Great idea to swap out quinoa for the lentils, for something different. I love lentil soup too, but this was a nice change. I added in a few stalks of celery. Will def be my new go-to soup when someone is sick.
Thanks, Asha.
I have no idea if this will cure a cold or flu definitely. What I do know is, it’s soooo incredibly delicious! My girlfriend made it for me..I hope it’s just as great when I make it for her 🙂
Wow! You are lucky to have such a thoughtful girlfriend!
Wonderful…tasty receipe
Thank you, Sweta.