Soup up this season
Some foods can help boost your immune system

Researchers discovered a number of years ago what moms the world over knewto be true: Chicken soup helps relieve symptoms of the common cold.
Dr. Stephen Rennard, a professor at the Pulmonary and Critical CareMedicine Section of the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, put chicken soup tothe test. He found that the soup may indeed help reduce the upper respiratoryinflammatory response associated with colds, for example, decreasing inflamednasal passages, which in turn helps to relieve a stuffy nose.
Choosing foods – and not just chicken soup – that help reduceinflammation and boost immunity can help keep colds away this winter. Think ofit as food as medicine.
“There is research suggesting that merely adding a food to your existingdiet may actually help lower cholesterol, boost immune function and fightcancer,” said Dave Grotto, a registered dietitian and author of theforthcoming book, “101 Foods That Could Save Your Life!” “We don’t have to goon extreme diets or gut existing programs. Start first with what I callvalue-added foods.”
Selecting nutrient-rich ingredients for a winter soup is a great way tosoup up your immune system. Some common items contain powerful properties thathelp keep us healthy, and scientists have begun to understand which componentsin foods do just that.
For example, pumpkins are rich in beta carotene, which the body slowlyconverts into vitamin A, a nutrient that helps protect against infections.Beta carotene also acts as an antioxidant that helps sweep away free radicals.Unchecked, free radicals destroy healthy cells and can lead to heart diseaseand cancer.
A batch of pumpkin or squash soup is a perfect seasonal way to fortifyagainst colds and much better than popping a supplement. The Mayo ClinicHealth Letter recently reported that taking supplements may have little effectwhen it comes to antioxidants’ power. That’s because foods contain anunmatchable variety of antioxidants. A supplement may contain a single type ofantioxidant or even several. However, foods can contain thousands of valuablenutrients. It’s not as simple as extracting a single compound and putting itinto pill form because it could be the synergetic effect of many nutrientsthat provide health benefits. Also, keep in mind that more is not better whenit comes to some vitamins. Vitamin A is toxic in large doses. Getting thenutrient through foods is best because your body will convert the betacarotene into vitamin A only when needed.
“Supplements have their place when used appropriately,” Grotto said. “Butso many people use them as a panacea for everything. The unfortunate mistakemany people make is they feel they can replace fruits and vegetables and otherimportant foods in our diets with supplements and that has not been proven atall.”
In addition to color-rich squashes, onions, shiitake mushrooms and garlicare also cited for their immune-boosting properties. Onions contain quercetin,a powerful antioxidant that also has antihistamine and anti-inflammatoryproperties. The Japanese have long touted the shiitake mushroom for itsimmune-enhancing effects. Fresh and dried shiitakes are both said to beeffective. Mushrooms provide their health benefit when cooked, while garlic’svalues are highest when raw or only slightly cooked. So add the garlic at theend of cooking, according to Grotto.
Some other ingredients are prized in various Asian cuisines in helpingfight another scourge of winter, the flu. Among them are ginger, which canhelp ease nausea and which the Chinese use to ease stomach and intestinalailments; and turmeric, which can help fight infection.
Soups can take time to reach their full flavor. Pull out that slow cookerin the morning, throw in some immune-boosting ingredients into the mix andyou’ll be welcomed home by a hot home-cooked meal.

Australian butternut squash soup
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Ginger, garlic and turmeric (already in the curry powder) get mellowtogether in a quick and healthful soup. In this version adapted from “The Artof Tofu,” by Akasha Richmond, tofu replaces the cream that is traditionallyused. If you prefer, sub it with a half cup of half-and-half.

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 large butternut squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 white onion, chopped
1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 package (12.3 ounces) firm organic tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons to 1/4 cup light or yellow miso, see note
Finely chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley

1. Combine the chicken broth, squash, onion, ginger, garlic and currypowder in a Dutch oven (this sentence as published has been corrected in thistext). Heat to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium. Cover;cook, stirring occasionally, until squash softens, about 30 minutes. Let cool10 minutes.
2. Puree the soup mixture, in batches, with some of the tofu and miso ineach batch, in a blender or food processor until smooth and no white bits oftofu remain. Strain the soup through a medium-mesh strainer; return to thepan. Heat over low heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Adjust seasonings ifdesired. Divide among bowls; garnish with chives.
Note: Miso, a thick Japanese paste, is available at Asian markets, healthfood stores or specialty markets such as Whole Foods.
Nutrition information per serving:
177 calories, 26% of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mgcholesterol, 23 g carbohydrates, 14 g protein, 362 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
\Mushroom barley stew
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 6 hours
Yield: 4-6 servings
\From “Best-Loved Slower Cooker Recipes, Rival Crock Pot,” which suggests toturn this thick robust stew into a soup, add 2 to 3 additional cups of brothand cook for same amount of time.
\1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
5 cups vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, broken into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon each: freshly ground pepper, dried thyme
\Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots, onion andgarlic; cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Place in slow cooker.Add broth, barley, mushrooms, salt, pepper and thyme. Cover; cook on low, 6-7hours. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Nutrition information per serving:
197 calories, 12% of calories from fat, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mgcholesterol, 40 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 1,196 mg sodium, 7 g fiber