Beat The Cold With This: Immunity Boosting Mushroom Soup

So i woke up today under the weather. Sore throat which progressed to a little sinus stuff...i attribute it to traveling without my herbs, drying flights, walking in the rain, long days of work/stress, and sleeping in warm dry heat controlled houses. In my attempt to kick the beginnings of whatever this is out, i've dedicated the day to taking care of myself. After securing the day off, i went to the market and purchased 4 heads of garlic, some ginger root, immunity boosting mushrooms, carrots, and Vit C packed organic oranges and grapefruits. I got right on top of my prevention/wellness routine (see past post "kicking it through cold/flu season: immunity boosters") filling my body with necessary immune boosting and bacteria fighting herbs. While i had planned to cleanse this week, my cleanse is being pushed back a couple days until these symptoms subside. So home from the market i went and roasted the 4 heads of garlic, 2 of which i've already consumed (it's only shy of 10am, i must smell amazing, ha!), and two that i will consume throughout the remainder of the day. I also made a mean mushroom soup filled with bellas and shitakes to boost immunity. It turned out so good that i had to post the recipe. Here it is...great for warming you up on a cool day, or for boosting immunity when you're feeling this season's bug is trying to get cha.

What you'll need (choose all organic if possible):

at least 1 whole head of garlic
olive oil (a few tbsp)
water (a few tbsp)
1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
2 medium portabella mushrooms, chopped
approximately 10 shitake mushrooms, sliced thin
1 32 ounce box of vegetable stock
1 to 1 and a 1/2 cups of light PLAIN soy milk (or dairy milk or cream)
black pepper to taste


Roast 1 head of garlic by:

preheating oven to 375 degrees
peel off the outer skin of the head of garlic, leave whole (leave the skin on individual pieces)
cut the pointy end off about 1/4 or half inch down so that the top pieces are exposed
Drizzle olive oil over the top and rub in with fingers
wrap in foil and place on a baking sheet
Bake in oven for about 35 - 40 min

While garlic is baking...

Chop 1/2 of a medium onion.
place a soup pot on the stove and add 1 tbsp of olive oil, set temp at med-low heat
Add chopped onion and stir, you may want to add a small amount of water as well (1-2 tbsp)
Meanwhile chop your bellas and add them to pot, add just enough veggie stock to cover, turn heat up to medium
Slice your shitakes thin and add to pot
Add the remaining veggie stock, cover, and let cook until your garlic is done and cooled. If the soup begins to boil, that is fine, just begin to reduce the heat and let simmer.

Once garlic is done, remove from oven and open foil packs, let cool.
Once cooled you'll be able to handle the cloves. Use a paring knife to open the paper and push the clove out. Place these cloves in your blender.

Pour your soup with the mushrooms into the blender as well, scooping out some of the mushroom chunks and returning them to the pot (removed from heat source) so that you can have a little texture left in your soup. Blend the soup in the blender leaving it less than pureed with some texture, add back to the pot with the mushroom pieces that are left in it, and stir in about a cup to a cup and a half of plain (or plain light) soy milk (or dairy milk or cream if you prefer). Pepper heavily to taste. Reheat and serve.

If you're under the weather, or making this for someone who is, consider roasting extra heads of garlic. Serve the soup with a couple whole extra cloves popped into the soup bowl - this is great for those fighting colds and bacterial or fungal infections.