Summer’s not the time that you think you’re going to get a cold, but it tends to be the time when a lot of people get one, myself included. As a mother, summer colds are something that I have grown quite accustom to. If it’s not me getting sick, it’s one of my sons, or my husband. Colds don’t care what season it is, they just happen—and usually at the worst possible time.
On a recent camping trip with my family, (further proof that colds have incredibly bad timing) I was struck down with a nasty one—that I only just got over.
Whenever I get sick there is one, and only one, thing that I crave – soup. Soup is a colds worst enemy—well next to a bottle of Buckleys of course. It’s hot, which helps with the chills. Nutritious, which helps boost your immune system. And is also incredibly soothing, which helps you feel better about the fact that you have a cold. An integral part of the “get better” process.
To fight off my latest cold I turned to a vegan shiitake mushroom broth recipe that I find myself craving even when I’m not sick. This soup was made for hot summer days. It’s light, flavourful, and chalked full of nutrients. The noodles also up this soup’s heartiness factor. Think vegetarian ramen or pho. AKA delicious.
So whether you’re sick or not, I encourage you to give it a go. I’m pretty confident that it will become something that you crave as well. 🙂
Enjoy!
Nicole
Shiitake Mushroom Broth with Buckwheat Noodles
Makes 2-3 servings
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of organic virgin coconut oil
1 carton of pacific organic mushroom broth or 4 cups homemade mushroom stock
2 cups organic sliced shiitake mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 3 inch piece of ginger, sliced
6 green onions, finely sliced
1/3 pack of buckwheat noodles cooked, drained and rinse *When buying buckwheat noodles, make sure they are 100% buckwheat and not cut with normal wheat. Especially if you’re gluten-free
Instructions
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- Saute your mushrooms and garlic in saucepan with coconut oil over medium heat, adding small amounts of broth if needed until the mushrooms start to release their juices.
- Once your mushrooms have started to release their juices, saute for another 5 mins and then add your mushroom stock, ginger and green onions.
- Simmer on low for 20 mins.
- While your soup is simmering, cook your buckwheat noodles according to their package instrutions.
- When you’re noodles are ready, you’re ready to serve. Place 1/2 of your buckwheat noodles in a bowl and top with half of your mushroom soup mixture—depending on how big of a bowl of soup that you want. I am oddly hungry when sick, so this soup only does me for 2 meals.
- Remove ginger slices and enjoy!
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Note: To up the nutrition content and heartiness factor of this soup, add steamed vegetables like bok choy, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Steam your vegetables in your shiitake mushroom broth to make them taste extra delicious. 😉
