When we get sick around here with the latest cold or flu we drink peppermint tea, ginger tea, and eat Mommy’s Homemade Chicken Soup for colds and flus. The chicken soup recipe is basically my very popular, Chicken Barley Soup recipe with extra garlic, cayenne, and ginger to get the lymph glands flowing! I use fresh ginger and lemon juice for ginger tea and the soup. Here is how I make the teas and soup:
Ginger Tea
Chop up coarsely about 3-4 inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger. Simmer for 10-15 minutes in 3 cups of pure water or bring up to full pressure in a pressure cooker for 3-5 minutes and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Take 1/4 – 1/2 cup “ginger concentrate”, add hot water, honey, and a squeeze of lemon to taste. Drink lots!
Peppermint Tea
We make peppermint tea using the cut leaves, about 1-2 tsp leaves infused with each cup of water. Add lemon and honey to taste, if desired . Drink Lots. We also make lots of hot boiling water in our air pot so we can keep making hot fresh cups of tea all day without reheating the tea kettle. You can also buy peppermint tea in bag form, but when we are sick we go through so much peppermint tea that purchasing the leaves in bulk is much more cost effective. I store loose peppermint in canning jars. One quart jar of bulk peppermint leaves costs about $3.00 in a health food store and makes lots of tea.
Chicken Soup for Colds and Flus
An effective traditional home remedy for colds and flus. I make a large pot of this chicken soup when we get sick. Garlic, ginger, and cayenne stimulate the immune system. Use as many of the ingredients as you have.
6 cup chicken stock (homemade bone broth is best)
2 cup diced chicken or turkey pieces, (optional)
5 or more gloves garlic, crushed
1/2 – 1 cup chopped onion
1″ piece or larger of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 cup carrot rounds
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup rice or noodles, cooked
1/3 cup flour
1/8 – 1/4 tsp. cayenne (optional)
1 tsp. thyme (optional)
1 tsp. savory (optional)
1 C. peas
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onion and celery in 2 Tbsp olive oil until softened, add the garlic and ginger and saute another 1-2 minutes. Add the stock or broth, and the carrots and simmer until the carrots are tender – 15 to 20 minutes or 2- 3 minutes in a Duromatic at full pressure. Add salt and herbs. Mix 1/3 Cup flour with 1 cup cold water thoroughly so there are no lumps. Bring the soup to a boil, slowly add the water flour mixture while stirring constantly to lightly thicken the soup. Add cooked rice or noodles, and peas, adjust seasonings to taste. This soup is the perfect thing for helping to recover from colds and flus.
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