Flu-Fighting Soups. Soup -- a hearty, soothing and satisfying answer to any sickness -- is the fiercest weapon in the fight against the flu. I’m no doctor, but I know that a hot bowl of soup warms you up, fuels you for the day and can help with a speedy recovery. As executive chef at four busy restaurants on the Las Vegas Strip, I’ve earned the title “sultan of soup” from my colleagues, mainly due to my wizardry at the stove concocting quick and tasty recipes from leftover pantry items. My staff slurps up every last drop at our family meal, the restaurant’s pre-shift lunch or dinner. If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, you’d know that it takes a lot of people to run a kitchen, so keeping my staff healthy and energized is crucial. Over time, these soups became trademark cool-weather staff meals that cured the winter blues and prevented the common cold.
Here, I’ve shared some staff favorites -- recipes that are easy to replicate at home, no chef whites required. Some of these flu-fighting soups may challenge your skills in the kitchen, but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and even familiarize yourself with ingredients you typically don’t use. The result is more rewarding, and you’ll have enough flu-fighting soup to warrant the hard work. Besides, these soups pack a powerful punch and will satisfy even the manliest of appetites without breaking the bank.
Here, I’ve shared some staff favorites -- recipes that are easy to replicate at home, no chef whites required. Some of these flu-fighting soups may challenge your skills in the kitchen, but I encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and even familiarize yourself with ingredients you typically don’t use. The result is more rewarding, and you’ll have enough flu-fighting soup to warrant the hard work. Besides, these soups pack a powerful punch and will satisfy even the manliest of appetites without breaking the bank.
Winter vegetable stew
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 medium zucchini, diced small
- 2 medium potatoes, diced small
- 2 medium carrots, diced small
- 1 acorn squash, diced small
- 4 cups vegetable stock
Preparation
In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion until it's translucent. Add the garlic and cook it until it's light brown -- approximately two to three minutes. Add in the veggies and cook over a medium heat for about 15 minutes. Slowly pour in the vegetable stock and cook for 30 minutes or until the veggies are al dente. This flu-fighting soup can be served as is or pureed in a blender.
Butternut ginger soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Melt the butter in an eight-quart stock pot. Add onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Add the squash and ginger, then cover with the vegetable stock. Cook until the squash is soft -- approximately 25 minutes. Puree the contents in a food processor, and garnish with nutmeg.
- 1 oz butter
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 3 butternut squash, peeled and diced
- 2 tsps grated fresh ginger
- 2 qt vegetable stock
- Zest of nutmeg
Preparation
Melt the butter in an eight-quart stock pot. Add onion and garlic, and cook until tender. Add the squash and ginger, then cover with the vegetable stock. Cook until the squash is soft -- approximately 25 minutes. Puree the contents in a food processor, and garnish with nutmeg.
Sausage, escarole and cannelloni bean soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, then add in the onion, tomatoes, celery, carrot, garlic, herbs, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent -- about 10 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the beans and escarole, and cook until the escarole is just tender -- about fvie minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 spicy Italian sausage links, removed from casings
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp each: fresh basil and oregano, chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground pepper
- 32 oz vegetable broth or 2 cans of reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (15-oz) cans cannelloni beans, rinsed
- 1 head escarole, chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan
Preparation
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, then add in the onion, tomatoes, celery, carrot, garlic, herbs, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent -- about 10 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the beans and escarole, and cook until the escarole is just tender -- about fvie minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of cheese.
Spicy split pea and lamb shank soup
Serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
In a large pot, brown the lamb shanks in oil. Remove them from the pot and set them aside. Lightly brown the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in a pot. Add the lamb shanks, and all the remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for two hours until the lamb is cooked and falling off the bone. Remove the shanks and cut the meat from the bone. Add the meat back to the pot and season this flu-fighting soup with salt and pepper to taste. ( askman.com )
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 2 each: American lamb shank
- 2 cups carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp dried marjoram
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 medium plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups split peas
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
In a large pot, brown the lamb shanks in oil. Remove them from the pot and set them aside. Lightly brown the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in a pot. Add the lamb shanks, and all the remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for two hours until the lamb is cooked and falling off the bone. Remove the shanks and cut the meat from the bone. Add the meat back to the pot and season this flu-fighting soup with salt and pepper to taste. ( askman.com )
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