I woke in the night feeling a little off. Rolling over to go back to sleep, I swallowed.
OUCH!
There it was: a raging sore throat.
This moment fills me with dread. I am on the cusp of getting sick. Can I fight it off, or will it take me out?
It’s officially cold and flu season and I have been getting almost daily emails from clients looking for natural solutions that actually work; so I wanted to share this easy throat-soothing coconut soup. It’s one of my first go-to’s when a sore throat strikes.
If you like the Thai soup Thom Kha Gai, you’re in for a treat. This soup reminds me of a simplified version of that, using what’s already in the kitchen.
The bone broth base is immune-boosting and healing. The coconut milk is soothing and creamy without increasing mucous production the way dairy does. The lemon is fragrant and loaded with vitamin C. The ginger and garlic are both great anti-microbials, not to mention delicious.
Depending on my appetite I may boost it up a little. I’ll add in anything that strikes my fancy to make it a little heartier: leftover chicken, some mushrooms, some sliced peppers, a handful of greens. There’s no right or wrong here. Use what sounds good to you and is easily available. Go grocery shopping from your fridge and see what you can turn up.
This recipe is inspired by one from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions (a must-have for any serious real-foodie’s recipe collection). I’ve made some changes to make it easier and more conducive to what’s usually in our fridge and pantry.
Brew up a batch, sip away, and feel that throat pain recede into the distance.
Makes two large or four small servings.
Ingredients
1 quart chicken bone broth (Pro tip: winter is definitely bone broth season so I highly recommend keeping lots of it around. You can store it frozen so that it doesn’t fill up your fridge. We go through several quarts a week in the winter.)
1 ½ cups full-fat coconut milk
Juice of 1 lemon
3+ cloves of garlic, minced (you can go high on the garlic – it’s very healing)
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, grated
Unrefined sea salt to taste
1/8-1/4 tsp dried chile flakes
Optional:
1 cup shredded chicken
½ cup sliced mushrooms (shitake mushrooms work particularly well)
½ cup thinly sliced red, yellow or green pepper
¼ cup grated carrot
Couple of big handfuls of spinach, sliced kale, chard or other green
1-2 green onions, sliced thin
Whatever looks good and sounds nice from your fridge!
Directions
Bring broth to a low boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top.
Add coconut milk, lemon, garlic, ginger, sea salt and chile flakes. Add in any optional meat or heartier vegetables (mushrooms, peppers, carrots).
Simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
If adding greens, sliced onions or other more delicate vegetables, add just before serving.
Enjoy and feel better!
Perfect timing – we just arrived in Australia and my hubby has a really sore throat. I cooked up some chicken broth yesterday and am going to make this for him right now! And I’m going to enjoy some too – coconut and ginger and garlic are firm favorites for me! thanks!
Let me know how you enjoy it Trudy! 🙂
Mmmm! Sounds delicious. I don’t have a sore throat, but I do have all the ingredients. Best of both worlds!
🙂 You’ll love it!
Hi! I just made this soup. Felt the sore throat coming in yesterday and remembered this soup. It tastes wonderful and feels lovely on my throat. I like really chunky soup so I added ALOT of veggies and chicken. So I’m enjoying it now while I listen to my NTP audio lessons?
Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it, Heidi! 🙂 Hope you’re feeling better!
Just some thoughts here… firstly, if you are getting a cold or flu that is good. Your body wants to help you and rid itself of toxins. Secondly, mucus production is always necessary and good for all bodily processes. Yes these detoxes are uncomfortable physically but you can benefit yourself by recognizing what the body needs. Cooked foods during cold and flu are actually dehydrating, yes soup is filled with fluid and that is better than other cooked foods.. but too hot can. Also bone broths only build adipose tissue in the body, storing cauterized minerals that the body cannot easily utilize in its processes. Raw dairy and raw egg milkshakes are best during cold and flu, along with some chicken and any other raw fruit or vegetable that you feel drawn to during the cold or flu. Patience is key.