This super simple – ready in 5 minutes – healthy green soup recipe is a brilliant way to boost immunity and get on top of those niggling colds, flu and infections that grind us down.
I totally swear by it.
Having struggled for years with colds that turned into bronchitis, laryngitis and everything-else-itis plus weird fevers and shingles, I truly believe daily-ish doses of this green soup have transformed my health.
So do give it a go – add it to your recipes – and try and turn green soup guzzling into an easy everyday healthy habit.
Even if you’re a lazy, slightly rubbish cook – like me – it’s brilliantly quick and easy despite being chock full of immunity boosting ingredients.
Immunity Boosting Ingredients
All you absolutely need per person for this green soup recipe is :
1. Leafy Green Veg
The base of the soup is a few handfuls of leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, kale or collard greens, which are immunity boosting because they give us:
- Essential daily vitamin C
- Without raising sugar levels
- PLUS immune boosting iron, folic acid and vitamin A
- And dietary fibre that helps absorption.
They are also rich in magnesium which is critical for balancing the levels of all our different hormones. There is a complicated relationship between our hormone levels and our immune system and imbalance in either can knock the other off kilter.
I’m a pretty lazy gardener but still manage to grow crops of quick spinach and collard greens that keep us in fresh leafy greens for a good part of the year. Even if you’ve never grown a thing before it’s worth giving them a try, they truly are easy and you can even grow collard greens from scraps.
2. Handful Of Nuts
A small handful of nuts such as cashews, peanuts, almonds or hazelnuts make this green soup lovely & creamy and give us immunity boosting zinc and vitamin E. Nuts are also valuable iron rich food for vegans and vegetarians and magnesium rich food for all of us.
3. Gut Friendly Flavouring
A little gut friendly flavouring can take that slightly bitter edge off your greens whilst actually helping to restore gut health. I usually go for one of these quick options
- Turmeric & cumin : shown in scientific research to have natural antibiotic powers
- Blue cheese & garlic : both blue cheese & garlic can help restore the good gut bacteria our immune system depends on.
4. Naturally Antibiotic Herbs
A sprinkling of naturally antibiotic herbs such as mint, oregano, chives and parsley all help boost immunity, promote a healthy gut and help protect us from inflammation and bloating.
That is literally it but for an even bigger immune boosting bang for your buck you could add any of these extras you have handy.
Extra Green Soup Ingredients
None of these are essential to the recipe but they will make your daily green soup even healthier if you get into the habit of stocking them and chucking them in :
Half A Can Of Beans
Adding some beans or pulses makes the green soup a real meal in itself with protein and low glycemic carbs plus immune boosting folic acid and zinc and hormone balancing magnesium.
Chickpeas, lentils or any beans you have are great but I do think cannellini beans are especially good for a really smooth, creamy soup.
Chicken Bone Broth
If you buy from a good butcher and freeze small portions you can easily add this gut restoring, cold fighting power house to your green soup.
More Antibiotic Herbs
A quick handful of naturally antibiotic herbs such as thyme, sage, basil or coriander can help our bodies fight off a range of minor chest and tummy infections so if you are feeling under the weather do top up with these.
Antibiotic Spices
Or if you are making a spicy version of the green soup you can add delicious cinnamon, ginger, fennel seeds or black pepper which again are all natural antibiotics.
More Gut Friendly Flavouring
All the allium family are great for our gut. If you’re not a garlic fan or just want to add more chuck in some chives or some spring onions. Or add some gut friendly tarragon or even super healthy dandelion leaves!
Peas
If you’re really not keen on your green leafy veg add in a good handful of frozen peas which are vitamin C and A, folic acid and iron rich but are slightly sweeter without raising blood sugar levels.
How To Make Green Soup
The simplest and quickest way to make this green soup is to just rinse your broccoli or spinach or whatever and then chuck everything – minus any blue cheese – in a blender with a little water and heat up gently.
(Do put a lid on the pan to stop it plopping!!)
If you’re flavouring with blue cheese add to the pan as you heat the soup.
On silly busy days that’s all I do.
If I want to slow down – a good thing – and actually enjoy five minutes or so more gently chopping and stirring, I roughly chop the green vegetables and saute everything slightly in a little olive oil before blending.
Alternatively, you could cook the green vegetables for a few minutes in a pan about a third full of boiling water.
It is literally as simple as that.
It’s on the table in no time, fast.
But really is an immunity boosting power house of a green soup. Especially if you serve with gut friendly yoghurt or creme fraiche. I get a zing of energy just from guzzling it down. And I really notice the difference to my energy levels and general feeling of well being if I go more than a few days without a dose.
Do give it a go and try and turn it into an easy healthy habit.
Let me know how you get on and please do share with friends if you found the recipe helpful.
For more really simple healthy living tips do check out my other natural remedies. You will find loads of quick DIY remedies you can make from pantry ingredients for all sorts of common ailments including :
- Natural Remedies For Coughs & Colds
- Natural Remedies For Gut Health
- Natural Remedies For Skin Conditions
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