Immune Boosting Recipe: Asparagus & Ginger Broth

We often think of our poor old immune system when the colder winter months come around again, but our immune system needs recipes like this to give it a big boost all year ’round!

It’s not just there to protect you from coughs, colds and the flu, it’s proper functioning is essential to your health, energy and vitality. It is constantly working to keep you energized.

And it works so hard!

It is constantly on-call, looking to seek out and recognize any pathogens like bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi that have entered the body – and then get them out! It helps support the healthy bacteria in the gut, the workings of the lymphatic system and more – while also keeping a watchful eye on any of your body’s cells that have altered or mutated away from what they should be – and so is key to fighting cancer.

This DELICIOUS Immune Boosting recipe (if I do say so myself) is a warming, healing, satisfying broth and does so much good to your immune system.

Have it all-year-’round and either in a cup, or with a bowl and spoon. It is really quite yum.

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 cups organic, gluten free vegetable bouillon (I like the Marigold brand)
2 cups of filtered water
1 1/2 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (or GF tamari)
1 inch of fresh root ginger – peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves – minced
1 fresh red chilli, chopped (see note below)
8 stalks of asparagus – chopped
1 large handful kale – chopped
1 spring onion – chopped
1/2 cup fresh coriander chopped
Glug of olive oil
1 dessert spoon of coconut oil
Cracked black pepper
Himalayan salt to taste

Instructions

This recipe is SO easy and quick. Start by heating the coconut oil, filtered water, vegetable bouillon (stock), Bragg Liquid Aminos (or Gluten Free Tamari) in a pan and bring to a medium heat.

Next add in the chopped ginger, garlic and chilli and let simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

Finally, all you need to do is add the kale, spring onion, coriander and asparagus and let this simmer for another 3-4 minutes and then you’re ready to serve! When in the bowl, drizzle in a glug of olive or flax oil for an extra immune system boost.

*note about chilli – vary this depending on your heat tolerance! You can add more, you can leave in the seeds, or go for one of those tiny, gnarly bird-eye chillis if you love it hot…OR…go for a bigger chilli and take out the seeds if you prefer less spice. But try not to leave out – the flavour of fresh chilli is important and the chilli is also very immune boosting.

Click here for a printable version

Other Cool Stuff Related to this Recipe!

Vegetable Stock & Bouillon

I’m often asked the difference between stock and bouillon as I use them both often in my recipes (you can find more of my free alkaline recipes here). The terms are almost interchangeable. Stock is slightly more intense in it’s flavour, especially if (unlike me, I’m vego) you are using meat stock cubes or bouillon powder. The bouillon powder or cubes (which are often also called broth powder) are just a little lighter.

Now, whichever you use, make sure they are MSG-free and gluten-free! Very important. Organic is also important with these as they are not only concentrated, but they are also made by boiling the vegetables for a long period of time – long enough for every ounce of agricultural chemical to come out of the plant

There are a couple of brands I use in Australia, one of which being Marigold. Now, it does contain Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein, which is often a code-word used in the industry to try to disguise MSG, but in this product (which is organic, vegan, yeast-free and gluten-free) it is only in the naturally occurring form from vegetables in the product. The actual amount of glutamate in the product is also tiny.

If you were making a litre of the bouillon from powder (and this recipe calls for about 750ml – 3 cups) then it would have less glutamate than you’d find in a small potato.

Pro Tip for Peeling the Ginger

One of the things that used to really bug me was how much ginger (and turmeric) I’d lose when peeling it…until I discovered peeling them with a teaspoon! This is so cool, quick and pretty neat and tidy too – with absolutely minimal ginger goodness lost (and your hands smell good after):

If You’re Using Spice & Herb Powders Instead of Fresh

I always try to buy organic, but for some reason until a few years ago this hadn’t extended to my spice rack. Then I saw this article from our friend Vani at Foodbabe.com and immediately threw all of my non-organic spices and dried herbs out and replaced them with organic.

Expensive? A little. Worth it? OH ABSOLUTELY.

According to Vani:

“Like conventional food found in supermarkets, many of the spices we find on the shelves are treated with chemicals, contain GMOs and are irradiated. Virtually all conventional spices sold in the United States are fumigated [sterilized] with hazardous chemicals that are banned in Europe…

Food irradiation is the process of using radiation to kill bacteria and other contaminants. But while radiation is used to reduce bacteria in the spices we are consuming, the finished product has decreased levels of vitamins and natural enzymes. Irradiation changes the chemical composition of a spice, potentially creating toxic, carcinogenic by-products in the food and increasing our exposure to free radicals. Free radicals cause aging and disease – something we want to avoid at all costs!”

To keep the cost down I recommend finding an organic whole foods store (such as the lovely Source Bulk Foods here in Australia) – this will help you buy quantities you’ll use within the time frame of them staying fresh – AND – it’s much more affordable.

More Alkaline Immune Boosting Recipes

Recipe – Immune Boosting Recipe – The Alkaline Booster Juice
Recipe – The Triple A Juice (Alkaline, Antioxidant Rich, Anti-Inflammatory)
Recipe – Two Powerful Immune Boosting Ginger & Turmeric Teas
Recipe – Immune Boosting Vegetable Soup

Research, References & Scientific Literature

Arreola R, Quintero-Fabián S, López-Roa RI, Flores-Gutiérrez E, Reyes-Grajeda JP, Carrera-Quintanar L, Ortuño-Sahagún D. Immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory effects of garlic compounds. J Immunol Res. 2015;2015:401630.

DebMandal M, Mandal S. Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.: Arecaceae): in health promotion and disease prevention; Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2011 Mar;4(3):241-7

Josling P; Preventing the common cold with a garlic supplement: a double-blind, placebo-controlled survey.; Adv Ther. 2001 Jul-Aug;18(4):189-93.

Kabara, JJ. Swieczkowski, SM. Conley, AJ and Truant JP; Fatty Acids and Derivatives as Antimicrobial Agents; Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Jul; 2(1): 23–28

Kiuchi F, et al. Inhibition of prostaglandin and leukotriene biosynthesis by gingerols and diarylheptanoids. Chem Pharm Bull 40 (1992):387-91. 1992. Nature Immunology Online. Nature Immunology Online. 2001;10.1038/ni732. 2001.

Kyo E, Uda N, Kasuga S, Itakura Y. Immunomodulatory effects of aged garlic extract. J Nutr. 2001 Mar;131(3s):1075S-9S.

Nantz MP, Rowe CA, Muller CE, Creasy RA, Stanilka JM, Percival SS. Supplementation with aged garlic extract improves both NK and γδ-T cell function and reduces the severity of cold and flu symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled nutrition intervention.; Clin Nutr. 2012 Jun;31(3):337-44.

Rhode JM, Huang J, Fogoros S, Tan L, Zick S, Liu JR. Ginger induces apoptosis and autophagocytosis in ovarian cancer cells. Abstract #4510, presented April 4, 2006 at the 97th AACR Annual Meeting, April 1-5, 2006, Washington, DC. 2006.

Wigler I, Grotto I, Caspi D, Yaron M. The effects of Zintona EC (a ginger extract) on symptomatic gonarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2003 Nov;11(11):783-9.2003

Printable Recipe

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