Ginger Leek Soup-The Wellness Soup

This time of year, it is super important to stay healthy and proactive about fighting the flu season. My defense against sickness is always food. There are so many fresh foods out there that boost your immune system and fight off common colds and disease. The best part is they taste great too! My Ginger Leek Soup is packed full of cold fighting, immune boosting goodness.

Ingredients:

1 Bunch Leeks chopped

2 Cups chopped carrots

2 Cups chopped celery

3 Large leafs chopped kale

1 LB chicken breast cut stir-fry style

2 Large cloves of garlic minced

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 ½ Tsp salt

2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger root

2 Tsp sesame seed oil

1 Tsp red chili paste

1 Tbsp. Rice wine vinegar

2 Boxes (64 oz.) unsalted organic Chicken stock

4 Cups water

1 ¼ Cup orzo pasta

½ - 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)

*Makes 8 servings

Instructions:

Before you start be sure all your veggies are cleaned, peeled and cut. Ginger can be tricky to peel. I use a potato peeler to remove the outer layer of the ginger. Leeks need to be cleaned thoroughly or you will have sand and dirt in your food. Check out Being Cheap is Easy’s Blog for appropriate leek cleaning. Her cleaning tip is full proof.

In a large soup pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil and ½ Tsp. sesame oil. Add a big handful of leeks, minced garlic, chicken, ½ Tsp. salt, 1 Tbsp. minced ginger root, and 1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar. Sautee until your chicken is cooked all the way though.

Add two boxes of unsalted chicken stock, 4 cups of water and 2 Tsp. salt to your pot.

Now add your carrots, remaining leeks, celery, one more Tbsp. minced ginger, and 1 Tsp. red chili paste (you can add more if you’re looking for more heat). Bring soup to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Then add 1 ½ Tsp. sesame oil, chopped kale and orzo pasta. If you like spicy, add ½ to 1 Tsp. red pepper flakes. You should also taste your soup to determine if more salt is necessary. Simmer until the orzo is tender (5-7 minutes).

Simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Make sure all your veggies are nice and tender.

The smell in the house will be beyond delicious. When I was making this soup, the guy that mows our yard knocked on our door to ask me what I was making because he could smell it outside. He said it smelled yummy…I had to share a bowl with him!

In addition to being yummy, this soup also has some of the follwoing health benefits too (only to name a few):

Not to mention all the other veggies! If you heard of a Super Food, this is a Super Soup! I make a huge pot of this to eat throughout the week. Even if you don’t buy into the health remedies, it still tastes great!

Enjoy and stay well!

#fall #soup #health