When I was growing up and came down with a stuffy nose, chicken soup from the can seemed to make me feel better. But those same mushy noodles and few bites of chicken don’t seem to satisfy any more. I crave something spicy to unclog my sinuses and warming spices like garlic and ginger to soothe my throat.

So a few days ago when I was beginning to feel under the weather (and knowing my family would be catching the same unpleasant symptoms soon enough,) I whipped up this simple soup with as many ‘immunity ingredients’ as I could think of:

• Fresh herbs and veggies chocked full of antioxidants
• Beef rich in protein and zinc – Zinc has been shown to help shorten the length of colds, and chapped noses and inflamed throats need protein to repair
• Ginger and garlic to soothe sore throats
• Spicy jalapeno pepper to unclog stuffy noses
• Vitamin C rich lime juice rich in vitamin C to help heal

Immunity Soup

Fight off the flu, colds and winter blues with this immunity soup brimming with nutrients from ginger, garlic, lime juice, jalapeno peppers and more!

• Author: by Serena Ball, RD

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 medium onion, about 1 cup
• 1 inch-square piece of fresh peeled ginger, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 can (14 to 14 ½ ounces) fat-free, less sodium chicken broth
• 8 ounces lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Toppings:
• Fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
• Shredded carrots and/or bean sprouts
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, chopped
• Cooked brown rice

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.
2. Add ginger and garlic; cook and stir one minute.
3. Pour in chicken broth and 3 cups water; turn heat up to high. While water comes to a boil, pinch ground beef into teaspoon-sized free-formed meatballs and place on a plate.
4. When soup is boiling, slide in meatballs. Stir well, and simmer 3-4 minutes until meat is cooked through.
5. Stir in lime juice and serve with toppings.

What do you eat to help strengthen your immune system and ward off sickness?