Ayurvedic Immune Boosting Thai Soup

Winter is making our daily routines more and more challenging by bringing on unwanted colds and flu. So, what’s better than a warm tridoshic vegetable soup to combat the negative effects of seasonal change? Ayurvedic Immune Boosting Thai Soup fits the bill when it comes to health and flavor.

These spices aren’t just Ayurvedic, they’re anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial and immunity-strengthening, with cleansing properties that help flush the yuck from your system. Fresh spices give you the whole-food advantage, but even dried, they’re ancient home remedies and modern miracles, too.

This soup is a popular Ayurvedic Thai soup that has a distinctive flavor with a great mix of all tastes, is super easy to make and very healthy! Fall and winter are great seasons to include soups in your diet and this one makes for a delicious treat.

Ingredients (serves 4):

• Water (6-8 cups)
• For the broth:
  • 4 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
  • 4 tbsp ginger strips or 2 tsp ground
  • 1 stalk fresh green garlic (optional)
  • 2 stalks sliced scallions
  • 2 tbsp sliced fresh turmeric or 1 tsp ground
  • 5 stalks celery, sliced
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 1 cup Thai basil
  • Salt (to taste)
  • Black pepper (to taste)
  • Red chili flakes (to taste, optional)
• Diced or sliced vegetables:
  • Carrots, cauliflower, Napa cabbage, mushrooms, watercress or red spinach, green beans
• Noodles (optional – any kind that your family enjoys)
• Organic Tofu (optional)

Method

For the Broth:

• Add all broth ingredients to the water. Bring it to a rolling boil.
• Reduce the flame to medium after a rolling boil is reached and add salt, pepper and chili flakes.
• Switch off the flame after 10 minutes.
• Add liberal amounts of lime juice so that the end result is tangy and spicy.
• Strain and keep the broth aside.

Assembly:

• Add chopped vegetables into the broth, which is again brought to a medium boil. I suggest that you add the vegetables so that the one that takes the most amount of time gets added first. So, my order for the vegetables I used was beans, mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, and last add the watercress and spinach. The vegetables can retain a bit of crunch or can be well cooked, depending on your preference.
• Optionally, you can boil the noodles separately and add them to the broth at the end. The same goes for the tofu as well.
• Serve hot.

There are many medicinal benefits to lemongrass, ginger, and turmeric, some of which are promoting internal warmth, circulation and supporting the digestive process.

Tastes (Rasa):

Sweet (sugar, carrots, beans), sour (lemon juice, tomatoes, lemongrass), salty (salt), bitter (lemongrass, spinach), pungent (ginger, garlic, pepper, chili), astringent (spinach).

According to Ayurveda, this is a great soup for balancing aggravated Kapha – light, pungent, digestive and sharp, it has all the qualities to clear congestion, help with hay fever-like symptoms and also fever associated with a cold/cough. It can be pitta aggravating due to pungent, sharp ingredients like chili, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Go easy on those to make it suitable for pittas and to indulge in moderation during summer. This Ayurvedic Immune Boosting Thai Soup is great for digestion because of the digestive herbs and spices used like lemongrass, ginger, and pepper.

Stay Centered and Energized During Autumn/Vata Season

Right now, as we transition from fall to winter, it’s dry, cold, windy, rough, light and erratic — qualities associated with the element’s – ether and air, and characteristics of Vata (hence Vata season). This means that there’s an excess of Vata energy at the moment that can easily lead to a Vata imbalance, which can look like dry skin, constipation, insomnia or general spacey-ness.