Recipe: Hot & Sour Shitake Super Immunity Soup

vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free

Delicious Shiitake Mushrooms combined with the garlic, ginger, onions, and chili peppers all contribute immunity-boosting, infection and cancer fighting properties. This just might replace gramma’s chicken soup cure!! Sorry gramma.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp grapeseed or sesame oil
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, minced with seeds
  • 1 tbsp minced  or grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp minced garlic
  • 2 bunches scallions, green and white parts sliced, 2 tbsp greens reserved
  • 1 lb shiitakes, stems removed and tops 1/4-in sliced
  • 2 1/2 quarts organic chicken broth (for vegetarians, use organic vegetable broth)
  • 2 tbsp naturally brewed soy sauce (gluten free soy sauce or tamari are good choices)
  • Juice and zest of 2 lemons or 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 block firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 cups shredded carrots
  • Freshly cracked black pepper

Preparation

    • Add oil and swirl to coat the bottom of a stock pot with high heat
    • Add jalapeño chili pepper, ginger root, garlic and scallions. Sauté about a minute.

 

  • Add shiitake mushrooms and sauté 2 minutes, until softened.
  • Add stock and soy sauce, bring to a simmer
  • Reduce by 20%, about 5 minutes.
  • Add lemon juice or rice wine vinegar, tofu and carrots and cook gently for 2 more minutes to heat tofu through. Season with black pepper.
  • Divide into four servings
  • Garnish with chopped scallion greens and lemon zest.

Serves 4

Variations:

    • cooked cubed chicken breast may be substituted for tofu
    • cooked medium shrimp may be substituted for tofu

Add 1 -2 cups of baby spinach or bok choy leaves to the broth to soften for 1 minute before serving. The leaves should remain bright green

 

Add cooked soba noodles to each bowl before serving

  • Add 4 slices of Astragalus root  or 1 teaspoon Astragalus Root extract to the broth, another traditional chinese herbal medicine used in tonifying soups to strengthen vitality and immunity and promote the normal production of white blood cells

 

This recipe is adapted from Chef Ming Tsai.