SUPER Immune Booster Winter Soup

Come this time of year we should think about how we can keep our immune system "pumped" every day! I mean, think about it....who wants to be a useless, sniveling, sack of "baby" curled up in 3 day old pajamas , snuggling with a mountain of well used and really gross Kleenex? Not I.

So I make an effort to not be "that" person & even more motivating to me is not having my husband or boys falling ill---because THEY are the worst when THEY get sick! tee-hee.

So, here is a very delicious soup recipe that will totally boost your immune system.

You're Welcome.

INGREDIENTS: BTW, please try and go organic if you can.

*1 big red onion *4-5 potatoes *3-4 carrots *2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms

*6 cloves of garlic * 1 thai pepper or jalepeno pepper---your choice.

*1 quart of chicken broth

*12-15 BIG leaves of your favorite greens---get what is available: kale, spinach, collards, beet greens---just get green leaves!! Do not be cheap either--they cook down into nothing!

* I large chunk of dried reishi mushroom that will simmer in the soup but not eaten! This is purely medicinal--you will think this mushroom is a chunk of bark or something because it is dry and hard, but it has huge immune boosting properties!

I find dried reishi mushrooms at my local herb shop. Get a big mushroom, break it into pieces and store in a glass jar . I used a 3"X 2" chunk --give or take. This is very good for you!

*FRESH HERBS if available--but you can used dried too. I strongly encourage a home herb garden. I use ours ALL THE TIME and it brings me much joy!

I picked a small handful each of rosemary, oregano, thyme, basil and parsley (chop and put to side)

If using dried use approx. 1 tsp of each herb above.

*SPICES:

*1/8 tsp cayenne pepper *1/2 tsp cumin *1/2 tsp turmeric *1/2 tsp of black pepper *1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt--or other salt with MINERALS! (I like Selina Naturally-Celtic-Vital Mineral Blend which I buy online at vitacost)

DIRECTIONS: *Peel and dice onion and potatoes and brown in a big soup pot with 2 Tbsp of olive oil. This gives a lot of flavor so cook and stir until ONIONS are cooked. *Add dry spices to this mixture of potato & onion. *Then add quart of chicken broth. * Then add chopped thai or jalepeno pepper (no seeds---they are very hot) *Now add reishi mushroom chunk and chopped carrots. STIR

*Let simmer for about 25 min or until the potatoes are soft--stir now and then.

* Add sliced mushrooms & chopped greens .

Now, if you want more broth --AND YOU DO!--add 1-2 more quarts of water.

* Let this cook for about 10 minutes so the greens cook in the broth but don't disintegrate them please. If I am not ready to eat, I just take it off the heat at this point and put a lid on it and the greens will be fine when I am ready in a bit.

I topped this today with a little sour cream to cool off the HELL FIRE thai pepper, but if it wasn't so hot I probably would have sprinkled it with a little parmesan cheese. Both are nice. You can add chicken or meat which is the beauty of SOUP!! This is so good and I hope you give this a try and get your immune system nice and strong. Bon appetit