Cold-Nix Soup – Chicken-Free Soup for Fighting Colds

This vegan cold-busting soup makes its own fragrant broth from dried chickpeas and aromatic vegetables. Pile in more vegetables and turmeric for flavor and nutrition. Optional rice-shaped orzo noodles help it slide down the sorest of throats. This meal-in-a-bowl fills you up with less than a quarter teaspoon of olive oil per serving. Make Cold-Nix Soup quickly in an Instant Pot or see notes for cooking it in a slow cooker or the stove.

Whether or not you are sick or have to be near those who are, Cold-Nix Soup smells healing, tastes homey, and warms you up like a hug.

The Science Behind the Soup

If you already have a cold or worse, this soup might help you heal. The core recipe comes from a vegetable-rich, homemade chicken soup used in the much-referenced study Chicken Soup Inhibits Chemotaxis In Vitro. The study says:

As it is likely that the clinical similarity of the diverse infectious processes that can result in “colds” is due to a shared inflammatory response, an effect of chicken soup in mitigating inflammation could account for its attested benefits…. All of the vegetables present in the soup and the chicken individually had inhibitory activity, although only the chicken lacked cytotoxic activity. Interestingly, the complete soup also lacked cytotoxic activity. Commercial soups varied greatly in their inhibitory activity.

 

Print Recipe

Cold-Nix Soup - Chicken-Free Soup for Fighting Colds

The vegan cold-fighting soup makes its own broth from dried chickpeas and aromatic vegetables, including parsnips, celery, red onions, and garlic. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsley add color and nutrition. Optional whole-grain pasta helps it slip down your throat. Lemon brightens it all. Take one big bowl daily for comfort and health.

Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:

Rate this recipe!

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

American

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Passive Time

10 minutes

Servings

servings MetricUS Imperial

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 ribs celery with leaves if available
• 1 medium red onion
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 8 cups water
• 2 cup dried chickpeas
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 medium carrots
• 1 medium-large parsnip
• 1 medium sweet potato
• 2 cups green cabbage
• 1 cup whole-wheat orzo or other small pasta (optional)
• 2 lemons for 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves and tender stems

Course Main Dish Cuisine American Prep Time 35 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Passive Time 10 minutes Servings servings MetricUS Imperial Ingredients 4 cloves garlic minced 2 ribs celery with leaves if available 1 medium red onion 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon turmeric 8 cups water 2 cup dried chickpeas 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 medium carrots 1 medium-large parsnip 1 medium sweet potato 2 cups green cabbage 1 cup whole-wheat orzo or other small pasta (optional) 2 lemons for 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 1/2 cups fresh parsley leaves and tender stems

Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe!

Instructions

1. Mince garlic and set aside. Cut celery lengthwise and then across into 1/2-inch pieces. Chop onion. Turn Instant Pot on to Saute setting. Add olive oil, celery, and onion. Cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and turmeric.
2. Add water to Instant Pot. Pick through and rinse chickpeas, removing any small stones or other debris. Add chickpeas and salt to Instant Pot.
3. Scrub carrots, parsnip, and sweet potato, then peel as needed to remove any stubborn dirt or tough patches of skin. Chop into pieces about 1/2 inch across. Stir chickpea mixture and then add chopped vegetables on top without stirring. This helps chickpeas stay under the broth while cooking. Chop cabbage and add on top of other vegetables.

   
4. Lock Instant Pot lid in place with the steam-escape valve closed. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Let pressure release naturally.
5. Stir in orzo. Use the Saute setting to bring soup to a boil, then turn the Instant Pot off, cover it, and let orzo cook for about 9 minutes until tender. (If you are using a different pasta, cook it for the amount of time mentioned on the package.) Stir in lemon juice and one cup chopped parsley, saving remaining parsley for garnish. Taste and adjust seasonings. Cook a little longer if the pasta is not soft.
6. Serve Cold-Nix Soup hot in bowls, topped with parsley. Inhale the soup's steamy fragrance as you eat it. Keeps refrigerated for a week and frozen for a year.

   

Recipe Notes

• In a slow cooker: Put all ingredients except the orzo, lemons, and parsley into a slow cooker. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours, until chickpeas are tender. Finish soup as described above.
• On the stove: Follow directions above, but use a big pot instead of an Instant Pot. After adding cabbage, bring soup to a boil, reduce heat so soup barely simmers, cover the pot, and cook for 3 to four hours until chickpeas are tender. Finish soup as described above.