Green Goddess Immune Boosting Soup

Green Goddess Immune Boosting Soup ~ this nourishing soup is the cold weather equivalent to your power smoothie.  It’s a vibrant soup packed with everything you need to get through cold and flu season without so much as a sniffle.

* Today I’m teaming up with Pavilions and their O Organics® line of USDA-certified organic products to bring you a delicious way to get through the cold and flu season this year.  Partnering with great brands is one of the ways tvfgi keeps the delicious coming, thank you for supporting both of us!

I’m so excited about today’s post because I’m sharing some of my best secrets for making it through the upcoming cold and flu season unscathed.  This is my favorite time of year, and I don’t want to miss out on a single day being sick.  I take every precaution to stay healthy, including getting my flu shot the minute they’re available, washing my hands a LOT,  buying healthy O Organics products, and making this gorgeous immune boosting soup often.

During the fall and winter months most of us don’t have the luxury of stopping by the farmers market to stock up on fresh greens and veggies, so there’s less motivation to create vibrant healthy meals.  Our lives are busier, too, and we’re eating more comfort food, which means lots of white flour, cheese, sugar, and fat.  That’s where this soup comes in.  I’ve created the recipe specifically to target and strengthen the immune system ~ every ingredient in this magical soup has a job to do to help keep those dreaded germs at bay.  And I’ve made it with super convenient O Organics products, which are available in my area exclusively at Pavilions stores.

What’s in this soup, and why~

• chicken stock: grandma was right on, chicken soup can heal all kinds of ills.  It provides hydration, clears clogged passages, and eases cold and flu symptoms.
• spinach and other dark leafy greens: they’re high in Vitamin C and antioxidants to fight infections.
• lemon juice: citrus fruit is high in Vitamin C, which boosts the immune system by helping to produce white blood cells to fight off infections.
• broccoli: rich in anti-oxidants.
• garlic: fights infections.
• ginger: fights inflammations and toxins.
• turmeric: an anti-inflammatory spice that’s been used medicinally for centuries.
• cayenne: a powerful anti-inflammatory.
  
• black pepper: like cayenne it calms inflammation and promotes sweating.
  
• wasabi: relieves congestion.
• pumpkin seeds: high in Zinc for strengthening the immune system.
• coconut milk: provides Vitamin C, anti-oxidants, and energy.
• yogurt: has germ fighting probiotics.

Some other immune boosting ingredients you can add if you like ~

• mushrooms: antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-oxidant.
• carrots: the Vitamin A helps build immunity.
• cauliflower or Brussels Sprouts, rich in anti-oxidants just like broccoli.
  
• bell peppers: these powerhouses have even more Vitamin C than citrus fruit (red peppers have the most.)
  

Why O Organic?

When I buy an O Organics product, whether it’s a bottle of honey or a package of chicken thighs, I know I’m getting a product grown or produced without:

• pesticides
• herbicides
• fertilizers from synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge
• ionizing radiation
• growth hormones
• antibiotics
• GMOs

That’s big.  Toxins can build up over time in the body and wreak havoc with our health, so it’s just common sense to try to avoid them.  Pavilions O Organics line offers hundreds of products, in every aisle, right there in my regular grocery store and all at a great value, so I don’t have to think twice.

TIP: I’ve started to buy a few organic products every time I shop to slowly build up my inventory.  It doesn’t have to happen all at once, but every little bit helps.

I like to use my Vitamix to make this soup because it’s powerful enough to really puree everything into a silky smooth soup and even heats it up in the process.  Talk about convenient!  You can use a regular blender or food processor, as well, and then heat the soup on the stove, but cook it just long enough to heat it through, you want to retain all those nutrients.

That vibrant color lets you know you’re putting something good into your body!

My final secret for surviving cold and flu season is my favorite new obsession ~ grocery delivery, have you tried it yet?  The box arrives at my door at the time I specify, everything is perfect, (no dented cans or ugly apples ) and they even keep me informed via text message so I know just when my groceries will arrive.

I’ve done it a few times recently and I can already tell I’m going to use it a lot this winter.  It’s been a lifesaver when I’m super busy, or somebody in the house is sick, or frankly when I’m just tired and don’t feel like going out.  There are lots of options for grocery delivery these days, it’s the hot new thing and everybody is trying to get in on the action, but I like to stick with my regular Pavilions store because I know it so well, and I trust the quality I’ll get.

I highly recommend trying it out, and my personal theory is that I save money because I’m not making all those random impulse buys (looking at you, Oreo Thins.)

You’ll find a delivery link at the top of the Pavilions website ~ or depending on where you live, your local Albertsons, Vons, Tom Thumb, Randalls, and Safeway.

The Green Goddess Immune Boosting Soup is only one of lots of healthy soup choices on the blog ~ my SLIMMING DETOX SOUP  and my WEIGHT LOSS SOUP are both helpful before and after the holiday season when you just need to press the re-set button and get back on track.  My RADIANT BOK CHOY SOUP makes the most of turmeric’s magical healing properties, and my ROASTED WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP is packed with nutrients and has the most gorgeous crimson color.

Reader Rave ~

“Genius! I love my green smoothies—easiest way to get a ton of greens into my teen and pre-teen kids but during the winter months or when it gets a big chilly, the last thing I want to make is a green smoothie no matter how good it is for us. This is the PERFECT ALTERNATIVE! ”  ~Bea

Make it your own ~

• Use any dark leafy green as the base of your soup ~ kale, Swiss chard, watercress, or beet greens would all be healthy choices.
• For a vegan alternative, use vegetable broth or water instead of the chicken broth.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies. The opinions and text are all mine.