soup for the sickies

I found this recipe in the Washington Post, and have tried to keep it fresh in my mind as well as share with others. This is the perfect "sickie" medicine, bolstering your immune system with a flavourful punch.

Daphne Miller's Mushroom Ginger Soup for Health
1 ¼ cup shiitake, white button, maitake, cremini, or oyster mushrooms cut in ¼ inch slices
1/2 inch cube of fresh ginger (you can add a bit more if you really love ginger)
2 cups cold water
1 tablespoon white or red miso paste
1 tsp Mirin, sake or rice vinegar
1 tbsp finely chopped scallion

Put mushrooms, ginger and water in a pot with a lid and bring to a boil, immediately turn down heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and take out ginger. Put ¼ up of broth in a bowl and stir in miso paste and Mirin.

Stir this mixture into the pot. Serve topped with scallions.

Serving size: 1 dose

Note: Ginger
Ginger is *great* for clearing out mucus and sinuses. It naturally warms the body, provides a quick energy boost, and is awesome for your digestive tract (soothing for both upset stomach and nausea). I've taken to adding it to my morning smoothies for extra goodness.

Note: Mushrooms
Mushrooms are fantastic for your immune system. See this page for more info. I had a farmer tell me he makes a dose of them when he feels illness coming on; he pours boiling water over dried mushrooms (however much he needs for what he's cooking) and lets it sit for 30 minutes. The juice from that goes into a shot glass and voila, you've got an immune boosting shot. We do this every time we reconstitute mushrooms now.