Spicy Lemongrass Soup Recipe

This Spicy Lemongrass Soup is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign withPollinate Media Group™ and Kleenex. All my opinions are my own.  

For the last 14 years I have been working as a pharmacy technician at our local pharmacy. I am pretty sure that in those 14 years I have seen about 12  million people suffering from colds and flu. Inevitably they ask me “What can I take to get rid of this cold?”. Well, I hate to tell you this but there is NO magic pill to kill off those invading viruses. Sure, you can dose yourself up with over the counter or prescription drugs but those are not without side effects. I am a firm believer in strengthening our natural immunity instead of resorting to chemical treatments whenever possible. Not that I haven’t hit the NyQuil occasionally….it does happen! Of course, it isn’t usually something my patients want to hear but you will get better much faster if you just snuggle up with the right foods, a soft pillow and your box of Kleenex!

To fight a cold naturally, I have three key nutritional goals when I am sick:

1. Stay hydrated…that means really WELL hydrated! Not just a random glass of juice occasionally. Tea, soup, water with lemon, coconut water…whatever liquid (preferably clear and non caffeinated) you can get in your body will help.

2. Include foods that contain natural immune boosting or germ fighting characteristics. Add in a few vitamins to fill in those nutritional gaps.

3. Eat foods that are easy to digest but filling enough to keep my energy up. That means no fast food just because you don’t feel like cooking.

This Spicy Lemongrass Soup will help you fight a cold naturally as well as get your head and nose cleared out because it has the added kick of plenty of hot peppers. There is seriously nothing a hate worse than a stuffy nose and jalapenos, cayenne pepper and chili sauce will clear your head fast! Just make sure to keep a nice supply of Kleenex on hand for blowing. I prefer the ones that have a touch of aloe or lotion in them to keep my nose from getting raw.

This Spicy Lemongrass Soup is a perfect way to fight a cold naturally because it contains some serious cold fighting ingredients. Garlic has shown to have natural antimicrobial characteristics and is loaded with antioxidants. Mushrooms contain immune boosting antioxidants and lots of vitamin B for energy. Ginger helps digestion and soothes upset stomachs. Tomatoes, peppers and lime juice all have vitamin C, which is key to fighting a cold. Lemongrass has been shown to have natural antibacterial and pain relieving properties. Put all these ingredients together with a splash of chili paste and you have a cold fighting, head clearing, make me feel better soup! This recipe will make enough for several servings so just store it in the fridge and heat up any time you need a bit of energy and a clear head.

Spicy Lemongrass Soup

Yield: 6

Spicy Lemongrass Soup

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can finely diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 4 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small jalapenos, seeded and chopped
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 TBSP lemongrass paste
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp. peeled, minced fresh ginger root
• 2 tsp. chile paste (or more depending on taste)
• 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• juice of 1 lime (4 to 5 TBSP)
• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice

Instructions

2. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
3. Add the minced garlic, lemongrass paste, jalapenos, and ginger and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the mushrooms and cooked rice and simmer 1 minute.
5. Remove from heat. Add the soy sauce, cilantro, chile paste, and lime juice. Stir to blend.
6. Serve hot. Add more chili paste for additional spice if desired.

If you don’t have the energy to make this soup (but really, it is VERY simple!) you can clear your head just by adding a pinch of cayenne pepper to a cup of immune boosting herbal tea. Add a touch of honey and lemon and settle in with your blanket and box of Kleenex!