This healing immune-boosting lemon, ginger, and turmeric soup with chickpeas and shiitake mushrooms will give you the immune boost you need when you’re feeling under the weather.
Nothing is more comforting or healing than a bowl of hot soup when you’re feeling under the weather. 🤒 I came up with this immune-boosting lemon, ginger, and turmeric soup with chickpeas and shiitake mushrooms soup recipe when I recently had some oral surgery done and was instructed to only eat soft food and soups for the next few days.
Soup is a staple during the winter months when colds and flu are also prevalent. This recipe is a great one to have on hand when you need to whip up a fast, healthy, and nourishing meal when you or someone in your family isn’t feeling well.
Always use organic ingredients when possible to get the most health benefits from this recipe. Simple but flavorful ingredients make this soup a savory delight while the addition of fresh lemon juice at the end brightens up the flavor. Eat as a main meal or as an appetizer, you’ll be doing your body a favor either way as every ingredient in this soup has some kind of health benefit to improve your overall health! Bon appétit!
What ingredients make this soup immune-boosting?
- Lemons: I decided to add the lemon after harvesting a bunch of Meyer lemons 🍋 from a friend’s yard over the weekend. I knew that lemons are a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C both of which have proven immunity-boosting properties.
- Ginger: A member of the turmeric and cardamom family is not only immune boosting but also has strong anti-inflammatory effects which could be why studies have shown that ginger helps people with the pain and inflammation caused by osteoarthritis. Some studies have also shown that the active ingredient in ginger called [6]-gingerol could help prevent certain kinds of cancer including colorectal, pancreatic, liver, breast, and ovarian cancer.
- Turmeric: This brightly colored rhizome is packed with bioactive compounds with a host of medicinal properties. Also an anti-inflammatory compound like ginger, turmeric which is most bioavailable when combined with pepper and fat, both of which are in this recipe, can help prevent cancer, heart disease, and can help prevent Alzheimers thanks to its ability to fight oxidative damage in the brain.
- Garlic: Long known for its medicinal properties since the time of Hippocrates, garlic contains allicin, diallyl disulfide, and s-allyl cysteine all compounds that help protect against the common cold by boosting the function of the immune system. Garlic can also lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels, help prevent dementia, and protects organs from damage caused by heavy metal toxicity. We use 4 large cloves in this recipe, but don’t worry, the cooking makes the garlic odor less potent but no less nutritious!
- Shiitake Mushrooms: This rich, savory mushroom is what takes the place of chicken in this vegan immune-boosting soup which is similar to the traditional chicken soup, but without the chicken! Containing a host of bioactive compounds, shiitake mushrooms help boost your immune system thanks to the polysaccharides in the shiitake which also protect against cancer and inflammation. High in beta glucans, a type of fiber that lowers cholesterol, shiitake mushrooms have been shown to decrease the formation of plaque on artery walls.
- Spinach: High in vitamin C which helps the immune system and Quercetin which wards off infection and inflammation, spinach has long been a superfood that has multiple health benefits.
- Chickpeas: Packed with protein and fiber, this healthy legume is a great source of folate and manganese. It is also a complete source of protein when paired with quinoa.
As you can see, every ingredient in this healthy soup recipe has some sort of immune or health benefit. Low in calories, but nutrient-rich, this soup is very easy to make especially in an instant pot. You can also make this recipe in a dutch oven by following the same instructions except you would simmer the soup for about 20 minutes at step number 4 on medium-low heat instead of pressure cooking in the Instant Pot.
If you want to get more cancer-fighting shiitake mushroom recipes, try this delicious vegan shiitake mushroom stroganoff which you will absolutely love!
Remember, health is wealth so do as Hippocrates said almost 3,000 years ago “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
Immune-boosting lemon, ginger, turmeric soup with chickpeas and shiitake mushrooms
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 large yellow onion, medium dice
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 3/4" slices) stems removed You can also use baby bella, white or cremini mushrooms
- 2 cups organic baby spinach
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
- 1/2 c rinsed quinoa
- 1 small Meyer lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp organic turmeric
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 Meyer lemon juiced
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot on the "sauté" function
- Add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to the pot, and when it starts to sizzle, add the onions and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes or until translucent. Then add the carrots, celery, and shiitake mushrooms and sauté for another 2 minutes until slightly tender but still firm.
- Add the ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper, and thyme then cook for another minute making sure the spices are thoroughly combined with the veggies.
- Pour in the vegetable stock, quinoa, and bay leaves then set your Instant Pot to "pressure cook" for 7 minutes on high.
- Once the instant pot cycle is complete, let the natural release cycle go for about 10 minutes, then carefully release the rest of the steam and add the lemon juice, chickpeas, and spinach then stir and let sit with the lid on for about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! Here's to a healthy immune system!
