21 May Immune-Boosting Adaptogen Soup
The ultimate comfort food perfect for any time, whether it’s cold winter’s night, you’re feeling under the weather, or you’re just looking to warm yourself up with a nourishing bowl of soup.
I always like to find new ways to incorporate adaptogens into my daily routine. My two favourite adaptogens that I take almost every day are ashwagandha and maca.
If you don’t know this already, adaptogens are natural substances that fight the stress on your mind and body, working to return your systems back to ‘normal’. They’re stress response modifiers on both ends of the spectrum depending on what you take, to dial down your anxious feelings (ashwagandha) or boost your energy (maca) . They’ve also been found to help boost your immune system and even improve focus. Usually, I get my daily dose of ashwagandha in by adding it to a smoothie or hot beverage. This time I added it into my soup to prepare for this winter.
Packed with nourishing warming ingredients like turmeric, ginger, sundried tomatoes and the additional goodness of adaptogens; I added coconut milk and cauliflower for that extra thick and creamy consistency. I also kept it simple with the spices with just cumin, salt and pepper but if you like your soup a little warmer add in a few chilli flakes or cayenne pepper.
Best served with a drizzle of coconut milk, spiraled zucchini, black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sundried tomatoes, micro greens, coriander, Maldon salt, black pepper and a little squeeze of lemon/lime.
Adaptogenic Immune-Boosting Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
- ½ lemon juice
- ½ head of cauliflower
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
- 10 rosa tomatoes
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 1 Tbsp ashwagandha
- 1 tsp Shatavari
- Black pepper and sea salt to taste
Toppings
- ½ spiralised zucchini
- Sundried tomatoes
- Coriander leaves
- Microgreens
- Sunflower seeds
- Black sesame seeds
- Slices of lime
Method
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil and sauté the onion. Just before translucent add the garlic, ginger, cumin, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, pepper, celery, carrots and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes.
- Then add in chopped cauliflower head and tomatoes and let it soften a little before adding the broth and turning the heat down to a simmer. Add a little water if necessary to prevent it from burning.
- Before putting the lid on add the sundried tomatoes, ashwagandha and Shatavari and give it a good stir. Put the lid on and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes until everything is soft.
- Pour the soup into the blender*/food processor and process until everything is smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and add toppings of choice.
NOTES:
*depending on the blender you have, if it can process hot food then you can go ahead and blend it immediately otherwise let the soup cool before pouring into blender/food processor and heat up again before serving. Alternatively, just use a hand blender and blend everything in the pot.
If you enjoyed making this recipe let me know over on thegoodroots.com or tag me on Instagram @thegoodroots #thegoodrooots , because I love hearing from you!
Although adaptogens are an all-natural way to support your health you should still proceed with caution. A little goes a long way and in the case of adaptogens, it still rings true that too much of a good thing can be bad. Use adaptogens as you would any other supplement and with the intent to support your health and not as a cure or treatment for any disease. Consult with your primary health care provider before adding adaptogens into your diet, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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