Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, Thought Leadership

Recipes for Cold and Flu Season

January in Minnesota brings icy temperatures and means cold and flu season is in full swing. Reduced snowfall this year in the metro area can correlate with less moisture in general that can cause nose and throat irritation. Chinese medicine-based recipes for cold and flu season can support you all winter long. 

Whether you feel like you’re coming down with something, are already sick, or just want to support yourself in staying well, food therapy (treating food as medicine) can make a real difference.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine professor Dr. Jinming Yue teaches Chinese Medicine Food Therapy here at NWHSU–and is known around campus for his delicious recipes! We asked him to share a few recipes for cold and flu season, and he seriously delivered. We hope you enjoy using these recipes, and that you’re inspired to think more about how food can support you in every season. 

Ginger and Green Onion Soup 

This is a soup to eat when you’re just starting to come down with a cold or flu. After you eat it, you should curl up under a blanket and take a nap.

Ingredients (1 serving) 

  • 1 ounce of Fresh raw ginger 
  • 5 whole green spring onions (with root) 
  • ½ bunch cilantro 
  • 1 tsp soy sauce 
  • 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar 
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil 

Processing

  1. Mince the ginger, cilantro, and green onion, and keep the white root hair on the white part of spring onions. 
  2. Put 2/3 of the chopped fresh ginger and green onion and the green onion white root with hair in a pot, add 2 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. 
  3. Lower the burner to low heat and keep it at a simmer for 5 minutes. 
  4. Remove the pot from the burner. 
  5. Add the remaining chopped fresh ginger, green onion, and cilantro. 
  6. Add sesame oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce. 
  7. Let it cool down when the temperature is to your liking it is ready to serve. 

Chicken Noodle Soup  

This is a great meal to eat during the winter months, no matter how you’re feeling! Eat the soup, then wear a jacket and keep your body warm.

Ingredients (1 serving)

  • 10 ounces of chicken breast 
  • 1 ounce of raw fresh ginger 
  • 5 whole green onions 
  • 5 ounces of dried pasta 
  • 16 ounces of spinach 
  • ½ bunch cilantro 
  • ¼ tsp of salt 
  • 1 tsp soy sauce 
  • 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar 
  • ½ tsp sesame oil 
  • 1 tsp of Chinese star anise 

Processing

  1. Wrap all Chinese star anise in a spice bag and tie it.  
  2. Mince the ginger, cilantro, and green onion and cut the chicken breast into 1 inch cubes 
  3. Put 2/3 of the chopped fresh ginger and green onion in a pot, then add 6 cups of water, the spice bag, and the chicken breast, and bring it to a boil. 
  4. Lower the burner to low heat and keep it at a simmer until the chicken breast is well done. 
  5. Add the pasta. 
  6. When the pasta is done, add all remaining greens (1/3 chopped fresh ginger, green onion, and cilantro). 
  7. Add sesame oil, lemon juice, and soy sauce. 
  8. Let it cool down, when the temperature is to your liking, it is ready to serve. 

Egg and Honey Soup 

This soup is beneficial for when you have a cold or flu with a sore throat. You can sip it between meals or use it as a meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 egg 
  • 1 tbsp raw honey 
  • 2 green onions 
  • 3 cups of water 
  • ¼ salt 
  • ½ tsp sesame oil 

Processing

  1. Chop the green onion finely. 
  2. Crack the egg and put it in a cup, then stir it well. 
  3. Put 3 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil. 
  4. Add the stirred egg to the pot when the water is boiling. 
  5. Turn off the burner immediately when adding the stirred egg to avoid overcooking.  
  6. Add chopped green onion, honey, salt, and sesame oil,  
  7. Let it cool down, when the temperature is to your liking, it is ready to serve. 

Honey and Lemon Tea 

This tea is great for when you have phlegm and coughing with your cold or flu.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice 
  • 1 tbsp raw honey 
  • 4 cups of water 

Processing 

  1. Put all ingredients in one water bottle. 
  2. Shake the water bottle and mix the ingredients well. 
  3. It is ready to serve

Lamb Daikon Radish Soup 

This is another meal that’s great to eat all winter long. Make the recipe to share with family or friends, and don’t forget to eat the broth!

Ingredients (3-4 servings) 

  • 1 lb. of boneless lamb 
  • 6 ounces of raw fresh ginger 
  • 0.6 ounces of Huang Qi (Milk-vetch root)  
  • 0.3 ounces of Dang Gui (Chinese angelica) 
  • 1 lb. of raw daikon radish 
  • 5 whole green onions 
  • ½ bunch cilantro 
  • ½ teaspoon of salt 
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce 
  • ½ tbsp lemon juice or white vinegar 
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil 
  • 1 teaspoon of black pepper 
  • 1 tsp Chinese star anise 
  • ½ stick of cinnamon  
  • 1 tsp of fennel seeds 
  • 3 cloves 
  • black cardamom pod  

Processing

  1. Put Chinese star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, clove and black cardamom into a spice bag and tighten it. 
  2. Put Huang Qi and Dang Gui into a spice bag and tie it. 
  3. Cut the lamb into 1-inch cubes and daikon radish into 2-inch cubes. 
  4. Mince ginger, cilantro, and green onion. 
  5. Put 2/3 of the chopped fresh ginger and green onion, the 2 spice bags prepared from steps 1 and 2 into a pot, then add 10 cups of water.  
  6. Add all the lamb and radish cubes, then bring the pot to a boil. 
  7. Lower the burner to low heat and keep it at a simmer until the lamb is well done. 
  8. Remove the pot from the burner. 
  9. Add 1/3 chopped fresh ginger, green onion, and cilantro.  
  10. Add sesame oil, lemon juice, and black pepper. 
  11. Let it cool down, when the temperature reaches the desired temperature, it is ready to serve. 

We hope you’ll try these recipes for cold and flu season, and that they help you stay healthy this winter!