Winter Wellness Soups To Boost Immunity & Keep You Warm

It is not uncommon to watch many people fall sick when seasons change. This trend is particularly observed just before the onset of winters. Ever wondered why this happens? The reason for the increasing number of sick people is not the weather, it is the increase in the viruses present in the air. When seasons change, the virus multiplies at an exponential speed. Winters are almost here and the way to prevent oneself from catching a flu and other diseases is by redesigning your food options and exercising.

5 Winter Soup Special Recipes

Eating immunity boosting food plays a very important role in preventing illnesses that occur due to seasonal changes. Winters are almost synonymous with soups. Soups are consumed during winters not only because of the warm comfort they offer, but also for their immunity boosting properties. This winter, beat the diseases with these easy and delicious winter soup recipes.

Read Here: 10 Healthy & Wholesome Soup Recipes That Are Absolutely Delicious!

1. Mixed Vegetable Soup

This yummy soup is a great option for cold winter nights when you just want to stay in bed and enjoy a warm dinner. It contains the goodness of a wide variety of vegetables that make the soup very high on nutrition. One can expect to get a good dose of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals from this soup. This soup is good for almost everyone at home, including diabetic elders and fussy children who are hard to impress.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped tomatoes
• ½ cup chopped carrots
• ½ cup chopped french beans
• ½ cup chopped cabbage
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic (optional)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) powder 
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook all the vegetables along with 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker.
2. Once cooled, blend them in a blender.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves.
4. Add the blended vegetables, salt, pepper and cumin powder.
5. Add water if desired.
6. Serve hot.

2. Creamy Mushroom Soup

Mushroom soup is a favourite during winters. The earthy texture of the mushrooms combined with the creamy texture of the soup makes it a perfect meal option for very cold days. This soup provides the body with a lot of nutrition and helps in keeping illnesses at bay. The soup contains zinc, vitamin C, antioxidants and niacin which improve the immunity of the body.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chopped button mushrooms 
• 1 cup full fat milk
• 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add the olive oil to a pan.
2. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Now add the onion and cook till it is soft.
4. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook till the mushrooms become mushy.
5. Add the salt and pepper and mix.
6. Add the milk and bring the soup to a boil.
7. Slightly cool the soup and run it in the blender.
8. Serve hot.

3. Sweet Corn Soup

This soup is a regular on every family’s restaurant dinner option. It is a great way to get even the most difficult eaters to consume vegetables. This soup is a hit not only with adults but also the kids. Sweet corn soup is very high in nutrition and can help in increasing immunity. Non-vegetarians can add boiled chicken to this soup for added taste and nutrition.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup corn
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cabbage
• 2 tablespoons chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 teaspoon soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon green chilli sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook the corn with 1 cup water in a pressure cooker.
2. Blend the corn in the blender.
3. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the vegetables till they are tender.
4. Add the blended corn, soya sauce, green chilli sauce, salt and pepper.
5. Bring the soup to a boil
6. Mix the corn flour with 4 tablespoons of water.
7. Add the corn flour slurry to the soup and boil till it thickens.
8. Serve hot.

4. Chicken And Vegetable Clear Soup

Chicken soup is not just for the soul, but also for a healthy body during winters. This clear soup brings together the flavour of chicken along with nutrition from the vegetables. This soup is great for building immunity as it contains protein, minerals and vitamins. Since there is no dairy or thickeners added to this soup, this low calorie soup is great for people who are watching their weight.

Ingredients:

• 150 grams chicken with bone
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cabbage
• 2 tablespoons chopped carrot
• 2 tablespoons chopped french beans
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ½ inch of ginger (minced)
• 1 teaspoon soya sauce
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add the chicken, bay leaves and cloves to a pressure cooker.
2. Add 2 cups of water and cook for 4 whistles.
3. Remove the chicken from the broth. Keep the broth aside.
4. Remove the bones from the chicken and shred the chicken.
5. Heat the oil in a pan.
6. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
7. Add the chopped vegetables and cook till they are soft. 
8. Add the chicken and the broth to the pan.
9. Add the salt and pepper and bring the soup to a boil.
10. Add the soya sauce and mix.
11. Serve hot.

5. Mutton Soup

While some people avoid red meat like a plague, one must know that when eaten in moderate quantities, red meats can be very beneficial to the body. Apart from the obvious dose of protein, red meats like mutton also contain zinc and vitamins which have a direct impact on the immunity of the body. Mutton also provides the body with a lot of energy, making it easier to function on cold days. 

Ingredients:

• 500 gms mutton on the bone (diced)
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 4 black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 4 cloves (laung)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 2 green chillies (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 6 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 boiled potato
• 1 tablespoon wheat flour
•  Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add the mutton with 3 cups of water to a pressure cooker.
2. Cook for 6 whistles.
3. Remove the mutton from the broth. Keep the broth aside.
4. Dry roast the cinnamon, peppercorns, coconut, cloves and cumin seeds.
5. Make a paste with the dry roasted ingredients along with green chillies, lemon juice and garlic. You may add some water here.
6. Heat oil in a pan and cook the onions till they are soft.
7. Add the prepared paste and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Cut the potato into bite-sized pieces.
9. Add the mutton, mutton broth, potato and salt.
10. Make a paste with the wheat flour and water.
11. Slowly add the flour paste to the soup, ensuring that there are no lumps.
12. Cook the soup for 10 minutes.
13. Serve hot.

Read Here: 20 Immunity-Boosting Foods To Add To Your Diet!

5 Vital Winter Diet Tips

1. Always remember to keep the body hydrated during winters. Most people are dehydrated and end up overeating as they cannot differentiate thirst from hunger. Make sure to drink 2-3 litres of water each day.
2. Make it a point to consume a good amount of fruits and vegetables in your daily diet. These provide the body with vitamin C and zinc that are essential for better immunity.
3. Keep your carbohydrate in check during the winters as many people end up consuming too many carbs and put on a lot of weight.
4. Try to consume eggs and fatty fish as they contain omega 3 fatty acids, iron, copper and vitamins which help in keeping the body away from diseases during winter.
5. People usually find themselves getting tired quickly during winters which causes them to ditch exercising and gain weight. Try to get some workout done everyday to keep your body fit and healthy.

Making winter soups as dinner is a good idea for a variety of reasons. These soups are served hot, which means that there are very less chances of contamination. All of these soups are a combination of a number of vegetables that makes the soups very healthy and a great way to sneak multiple vegetables into the daily diet. These soups are easy to make and are wholesome meals in themselves, allowing women to finish their chores in lesser amounts of time. The most important reason why winter soups deserve attention is that they increase immunity and reduce the chances of catching diseases.