The Care and Feeding of Your Sick Vegetarian

'Tis the season for colds and flu. No fewer than 5 of my acquaintances have reported coming down with something or other within the last 72 hours.

We've all learned, whether through the wisdom of doting grandparents, or the empirical evidence of medical science, that taking in plenty of warm fluids is crucial to keeping the immune system fueled to get off the ropes and to keep fighting once it's taken that first, unceremonious sucker-punch from a virus.

Many people swear by chicken soup as the best immune-boosting warm fluid. It's tasty, available in a can, rehydrates cold-sufferers, and provides sustenance when someone simply is not feeling well enough for solid food.

But what about vegetarians? As soon as they are well enough to get out of bed, they'll come hunt you down if you try to pass off chicken stock as vegetable broth.
But does that pallid vegetable broth they sell at the grocery store have enough muscle to nutritionally intimidate a really rotten virus?

When I was a practicing vegetarian, I came up with a soup recipe in which every ingredient had (at least I thought) a nutritionally valid reason for being included. I always felt like this particular recipe truly helped put me on the mend. Whether this recipe is a cold and flu panacea for vegetarians is debatable, but it IS a nice change from the bland choices in the can at the grocery. It's good for omnivores, too.


"GET WELL SOON SOUP"

-2 Tablespoons of oil
-1 small onion, diced
-4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
-2 large carrots (use 3 or 4 if small) cut into dice or bite-sized half-moons
-28 oz can tomato puree (not stwed, not diced, not sauce, just plain pureed tomatoes)
-2 cups of vegetable broth (not high-sodium boullion cubes, if you can avoid it)
-1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
-tiny pinch of turmeric
-tiny pinch of cloves
-salt to taste (may not need any at all)

In a stockpot, saute onion and carrots in oil over medium heat until onion softens and looks translucent. Add garlic and saute just a minute or so more (don't let the garlic brown). Add tomato puree and stir or whisk well to incorporate all the oil. When blended, add vegetable broth and spices and stir well again. Bring just to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add parsley and serve.

I will reiterate that I am not a nutritionist, but I there are some generally-accepted reasons behind each ingredient:
Onions and Garlic: These ingredients are both members of the allium plant family. Test tube studies have suggested that alliums have anti-bacterial properties.
Carrots: Carrots are chock full of beta carotene, the building block for Vitamin A. It has been suggested that Vitamin A acts as an anti-oxidant and fights infection.
Oil: Beta Carotene is more easily absorbed by the body when taken with a fat (fat-soluble vitamin)
Tomato Puree: Tomatoes have lots of Vitamin C and the macrobiotic-diet folks say they are good for restoring the acid balance in your system.
Vegetable Broth: The vegetable broth takes the ragout-like tomato puree down to a thinner consistency, making it easier to eat when you're not feeling well.
Turmeric: Anti-inflammatory spice.
Cloves: Another spice that brings out something magical in the flavor of the tomatoes.
Parsley: More Vitamin C and Vitamin A...and it looks pretty in the soup.

I may make a batch of this again in the coming weeks. It will keep in the freezer and it's nice to have on hand to ward off sniffles and sneezes.

Stay well and enjoy!