Written by John Immel, Asheville, NC

The Healing Power of Soups

Soups are warm, soft, and supportive. They boost immunity, are hydrating, and generally easy to digest. Their slow and careful brew fills a home with alluring fragrance. That's why a grandma cooks soup for her grandchildren when they are sick. Soups are made with love and are a symbol of grandma's nurturing touch. Soups are perhaps the first medicine; part of a simple, wholesome diet, enjoyed by billions of people on earth every day.

Whenever life seems difficult or your body is run down by stress, emotions, or ailments, soups are a healing balm. Soups are grounding, the food equivalent of a tender hug. They provide restoration during times of stress and sickness. They are soothing to many ailments.

A Convenient Lunch - Should I Choose Soup or Sandwiches?

Soups and sandwiches are both convenient options for lunch, but healthwise soups are nearly opposite to sandwiches. Sandwiches are dry. They usually have bad food combinations, are served cold, and are difficult to digest. Soups on the other hand, have many medicinal benefits.

Soups Boost Immunity

Grandma's chicken soup doesn't have any high-tech chemicals, compounds, or derivatives that prevent the common cold. So how does it work?

The immune system is in the blood. Improving blood flow therefore improves immunity. Served warm, chicken soup opens the sweat channels and improves circulation. The effect is augmented by pungent spices like black pepper, and vasodilators like cloves.

Soups Rest the Digestive Tract

Fighting bacterial invasion for long periods of time eventually depletes strength. Resting when you are sick means 1) resting your muscles (on the couch) and 2) resting your digestive tract with simple, nourishing, easy-to-digest food choices like soups.

The long, slow cooking process gently breaks down food, making nutrients more available. It requires less work for the body to digest soup, reserving more energy to fight disease.

Soups Build Ojas

Ojas is the Ayurvedic word for the the heartiness your body needs to fight disease. Soups have plenty of ojas. Good ojas means good immunity. Ojas provides the foundation of both your immunity and physical prowess.

Meat closely resembles our bodily tissues and is the best way to replace depleted ojas. Chicken is preferred for sick patients because it is easier to digest than red meat. There are many hearty vegetarian soups as well, such as kitchari, which can be preferred for clients who need to cleanse or reduce kapha to fight infection.

Kitchariis Ayurveda's vegetarian version of chicken soup and has been used by convalescing patients successfully for thousands of years. Kitchari's ingredients are medicine - ghee reduces fever and moistens tissues. Rice digests in a snap while black pepper stimulates circulation. Mung bean cleanses the colon and is a relatively easy to digest bean when skinned and split.

Why Grandma Likes Chicken Soup

The increased blood flow, decreased effort to digest, and nurturing Ojas are the keys to Grandma's magical, immune-boosting soup. Broth also keeps the body hydrated and is readily assimilated.

Heating Soup Recipes All Soup Recipes Kitchari Recipes Grandma's Chicken Soup Common Ingredients in Soups

Basic Soup Recipe (for 6 servings)

Soups are easy to cook. Almost any ingredient can be included in a soup, potentially salvaging what might soon go bad in the fridge. Think of the age old Stone Soup tale in which a stewing pot of soup revives the generosity and connection of a community. Although soups can simmer on the stovetop for hours, the time investment can be as quick as the time it takes to chop a carrot. Chopping a carrot takes even less time than buying processed food at a restaurant or grocery store.

Here a basic model for making delicious soups:

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 3/4 tsp salt in a large pot
• Choose one to three vegetables, one to two cups of each vegetable
• Choose 1 protein: beans, fish, chicken, or red meat
• Add one or all root spices: onions, garlic, turmeric, ginger
• Add optional ingredients below
• Add water to twice the height of vegetables
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until veggies are soft

Optional Ingredients

You may add one option from each line without ruining the soup:

• Sweetener: raisins, dates
• Sour: Tbsp of Lemon or vinegar. Alternatively, 2 tomatoes.
• Pungency: Black or cayenne pepper
• 1-3 Aromatic spices: cumin, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, rosemary, or experiment with your own favorite spices
• Garnish with nuts or fresh herbs like parsley or cilantro to taste

Mistakes When Making Soup

If your soup doesn't taste good, it's usually one of the following reasons:

• Not enough salt, oil, or cooking time
• Too many ingredients in the pot

More Soup Tips

• Soups should be served tepid, around 101.5 degrees, the temperature of the stomach.
• Start your soup while cooking breakfast in the morning. In my kitchen, all three meals are cooked by 8:30 a.m. and I'm free for the rest of the day.
• Cook a pot of rice alongside the soup.
• If your digestion is compromised, avoid cream soups, soups with wheat-based noodles, tomato based soups, and soups with chili peppers.

BROWSE SIMILAR ARTICLES BY TOPIC

My Saved Articles | Most Popular