A few of weeks ago I was sick with a cold that knocked me down HARD. Today, 3 weeks later, I’m still clearing my throat and blowing my nose more than usual. It’s the never-ending cold of the season, and I know several people who’ve caught the exact same bug. It isn’t fun.
While I was sick I enjoyed easy-to-make meals that were both nourishing and soothing on my throat. Soup is always a good idea, so I turned to see what warming foods that I had in my kitchen.
I found my turmeric powder and decided to build a nourishing turmeric soup around it.
The active component of turmeric, curcumin, is a very strong antioxidant and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Plus, turmeric is a warming spice which is wonderful and soothing when you’re fighting a cold, leaving you nice and toasty the rest of the evening. It’s also considered a choloretic, promoting the release of bile aiding in digestion. This was helpful considering my appetite was a little wonky for a few days.
Curcumin is fat soluble and requires black pepper to be absorbed, so for maximum effectiveness don’t forget to add some coconut oil and black pepper to your soup! I’ve added both in the recipe below, so don’t forget these necessary and important steps to truly benefit from the turmeric.
The bug I had is currently making the rounds, so if you find yourself feeling under the weather, give this soup a try. It’ll warm you up, soothe your throat, and give you a good antioxidant boost to fight the cold!
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into small cubes
- 1 1/2 packed cup of chopped kale
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup red split lentils, uncooked
- ⅓ cup quinoa, uncooked
- 5 cups water
- 1 ¼ tsp turmeric spice
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp pink himalayan sea salt (more or less depending on flavour)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Add onion, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coconut oil to a large pan, and cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients, except kale, and cook for about 20 minutes until the quinoa, lentils and sweet potato are cooked through.
- Remove soup from heat, stir in chopped kale, and allow it to sit for a minute.
- Serve.
- If you like creamy soups, feel free to blend with an immersion blender before serving.
