The famous flu fighter

By: Dale Pinnock
From: The Medicinal Chef
Serves: 4
Photographer: Martin Poole

This one-pot wonder of a soup is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to dealing with colds and flu. Don’t be put off by the goji berries – these sweet treats were once hard to find, and cost the earth, but thankfully they can now be found cheaply in any supermarket.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1	red onion, finely chopped
1	green chilli, finely chopped
4	garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 cm piece	fresh root ginger, finely chopped
2 tablespoons	olive oil
2	medium sweet potatoes, diced, skins left on
1 punnet	shiitake mushrooms, peeled and finely sliced
2 handfuls	goji berries
	vegetable stock, to cover
	salt
	black pepper

Method

Put the onion, chilli, garlic and ginger in a large saucepan with the olive oil. Cook over a medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens.
Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms to the pan along with the goji berries. Stir well, then add enough vegetable stock to cover all the ingredients. Simmer well for 10–15 minutes, until the potato is soft. Season with salt and pepper.
Carefully add the soup to a jug blender in batches, and blend into a smooth, vivid orange, spicy soup.