Immunity Boosting "Better than Chicken Soup"

This immunity-boosting soup is made with a virtual garden of powerful ingredients (in bold) that contain beneficial nutrients for your immune system:

Turmeric adds a subtle flavor and a beautiful yellow color. The active ingredient is curcumin, a powerful antioxidant.
Black pepper also has antioxidant properties.
Cayenne pepper can clear congestion due to the main active compound capsaicin, which has anti-inflammatory properties.
Shiitake mushrooms are rich in vitamins and minerals and contain unique phytonutrients that contribute to good health.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 4 cups low-sodium mushroom, vegetable, or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups finely sliced kale
• 1 cup cubed butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 6 slices astragalus root (optional)
• 1 fresh lemon, Juice of
• 1 teaspoon miso

Instructions:

1. In a sauce pot over medium-high heat, add oil and cook onion and garlic, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes.
2. Stir in turmeric and mushrooms, and cook 2 minutes more.
3. Add broth, kale, squash, ginger, cayenne, and astragalus. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, add lemon juice and miso. Cover and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving: 90 calories (5 from fat), 0.5g total fat, 0g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 160mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (6g dietary fiber, 5g sugar), 2g protein

Image Attribution: minadezhda/bigstockphoto.com
References

Crimini Mushrooms

Ancient Romans referred to them as "food for the gods." Ancient Egyptians thought they could grant immortality. While those claims may be a stretch, crimini mushrooms (the common button type) are packed with unique phytonutrients that have been shown to contribute to boosting immune function, regulating inflammation, preventing arthritis, and protecting against cardiovascular problems. Not bad for a fungus.

If that weren't enough, new evidence suggests that crimini mushrooms can provide a boost of vitamins D1 and D2, which are instrumental in maintaining a healthy immune system. In fact, crimini mushrooms have proven to be more beneficial to the immune system than their more exotic mushroom counterparts.

Crimini mushrooms also provide an excellent source of selenium, zinc, and manganese--critical antioxidant nutrients--and vitamins B1, B2, B3 (niacin), B5, B6, and B12, which contribute to better cardiovascular health.

When buying, storing, or preparing crimini mushrooms, follow these tips to get the most nutritional bang for your buck.

1. Buy organic. Due to modern agricultural practices, it is important to purchase or cultivate organic mushrooms in order to lessen your risk of ingesting contaminants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and other unwanted substances.

2. Store them properly. How you store your mushrooms is vital to preserving their nutrient content, especially where vitamin D is concerned. To prevent discoloration and hardening, wrap mushrooms in a damp cloth and place them in a loosely closed paper bag, or spread them out in a glass dish and cover them with a moist cloth. Store them in the refrigerator at about 38°F (3°C). Whichever storage method you use, you'll want to try to restrict surface-to-surface contact among the mushrooms in order to keep them fresh longer. If you need to stack them, be sure to separate each layer with a damp paper towel.

3. Sauté and enjoy. The mushrooms should be wiped clean, sliced, and sautéed lightly, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, in order to ensure a golden-brown exterior and moist, succulent interior. Take care not to overcook mushrooms as this will make their nutrient count plummet.

Resources

• Pesti, G., ed. Mushrooms: Cultivation, Antioxidant Properties and Health Benefits. New York: Nova Publishers, 2014.
• World's Healthiest Foods. "Mushrooms, Crimini." Accessed December 2014.

Image Attribution: maxriesgo/bigstock.com

Barley and Mushroom Soup

With crimini mushrooms and tawny port, this barley-mushroom soup is chock-full of flavor, nutrients, and fun! Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 55 min.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup pearl barley1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced in 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 and 1/2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup tawny port
• 1 tablespoon + 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh sage (or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak barley in 1 cup of warm water while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of broth in a medium soup pot. Sauté onion, garlic, and carrots in broth for 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently.
3. Add mushrooms and continue to sauté for another 3 minutes. Add drained barley and tawny port; cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add rest of broth and bring soup to a boil on high heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 40 minutes, or until barley and carrots are tender.
5. Add herbs, salt, and pepper at the end of cooking and serve.

Image Attribution: Y_Gayvoronskaya/bigstock.com