Flu Buster Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup full of delicious, antiviral ingredients will help to chase the germs right out of your body. At the same time it will fill you up with healthy veggies. So creamy, but made without cream, so it’s gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and Whole 30 friendly. This Flu Buster Vegetable Soup recipe with its immune boosting vegetables and spices is definitely the best soup for a cold or any time you are sick.
MY LATEST VIDEOSHealthy Vegetable Soup
Are you sick of being sick yet? Or sick of your kids being sick? I am. Colds, the flu, ear infections, strep throat, pinkeye, stomach big. Yeah, I am pretty much over it. It is time for a soup full of all kinds of delicious antiviral goodness! And during the winter with the flu and all kinds of other viruses and bacteria running rampant, I thought I would bring you this veggie soup recipe. Based on the Virus Busting Soup from My Foodie Universe, it’s my “Flu Buster” Vegetable Soup recipe.
Well, I can’t guarantee this will cure you, but a steaming mug full of veggies and vitamins that tastes amazing certainly can’t hurt. This is especially true if you are also sipping a Cold Toddy Whiskey Mule at the same time for more germ-fighting ingredients. Just don’t give that one to your kids unless you leave out the whiskey.
How do you make Flu Buster Vegetable Soup?
- Saute onions, garlic, and fresh ginger in olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Then add the veggies and saute for another few minutes before covering with broth.
- Next, simmer until the vegetables are tender.
- After the veggies are soft, blend it all up till it’s velvety smooth with an immersion blender or a regular or high-powered blender.
- Finally, let it simmer just a bit longer until it is and hot and comforting and everything you want on the coldest winter days.
Why is Flu Buster Vegetable Soup Healthy?
- Flu buster vegetable soup is smooth and creamy, without using any actual cream. So if you are watching your calories, it’s a great lunch option.
- Each of the vegetables, that are nutrient powerhouses on their own, like cauliflower, onions, carrots, and zucchini.
- Since the soup is going to be blended, you don’t have to peel the carrots or potatoes. This adds additional fiber and nutrients.
- Onions, garlic, ginger, and turmeric all have antiviral properties with immune boosting benefits.
- And the addition of cayenne pepper for a little heat will help clear the sinuses.
Is Flu Buster Vegetable Soup Gluten Free or Vegan?
As always, please read all of your ingredient labels to ensure they are gluten free and not affected by cross contamination of hidden sources of gluten. But since this is mostly vegetables and spices, as long as you use gluten free broth or stock from a box or that you’ve made yourself, then it is fine. You can use chicken broth, but if you use vegetable stock, it is also gluten free.
I like to top my soup with a bit of Greek yogurt to balance the bit of heat from the cayenne pepper. However, if you leave off the Greek yogurt or choose a coconut or soy yogurt, this vegetarian soup recipe is also vegan. Plus it also fits in with your paleo diet or that Whole 30 you decided to start.
What are some more healthy soup recipes to make when you are sick?
- Sriracha Coconut Black Bean Soup {vegan, gluten free options}
- Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Thyme {vegan, gluten free, paleo, Whole 30 options}
- Creamy Cauliflower Broccoli Cheese Soup {gluten free, vegetarian, low carb options}
- Avgolemono Greek Chicken Zoodle Soup {gluten free, low carb, paleo, Whole 30 options}
My friends also have some recipes to help cure all those nasty bugs. Try this Homemade Cough Remedy from Barefeet in the Kitchen. Or pop some Homemade Cough Drops in your mouth from The View From Great Island. Foodie With Family is also going to kick those germs to the curb with Fire Cider Health Tonic.
You can also check out 10 Recipes for the Best Home Remedies to Fight Germs and Make You Feel Better
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Flu Buster Vegetable Soup Recipe
Even if you aren’t sick, you can still reap the benefits of a big bowl of creamy veggie soup, especially with the comfort food factor on cold winter days. The combination of vegetables and spices taste amazing together. Also, the silky texture from blending it all together soothes the body and soul. Serve it with a piece of Gluten Free Corn Bread or Gluten Free Cheddar Crackers to round out your meal. The family thought it was quite delicious, and as you can imagine, I was so happy to see my boys happily devouring their veggies!
I hope you’ll leave a comment and give it a FIVE STAR rating or share a photo on this pin on Pinterest!
Flu Buster Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger root
- 2 small potatoes, chopped (peeled, if you like)
- 1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped (no need to peel)
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- juice of one lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to preferred level of spice)
- Greek yogurt, if desired, for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Saute the onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric for a few minutes, until onions start to soften and become translucent.
- Add the remaining veggies, and salt and pepper, and saute for several minutes longer.
- Pour in the lemon juice, and stir to coat the vegetables.
- Add the broth, cayenne and additional salt and pepper, if desired bring to a boil, cover and boil for 10-15 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
- Use an immersion blender, or add the contents of the pot to a blender of food processor (in portions, if needed, based on the size of your blender), puree until smooth and creamy.
- Return the soup to the pot, and heat through.
- Serve with Greek yogurt, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Enjoy! (Originally published on Jan 21, 2013)
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Olivia says
November 25, 2018 at 2:48 pmThis soup is so delicious! I’ve made it twice this fall and it’s turned out perfectly both times. Yum and thank you for this tasty, veggie-packed recipe!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
November 27, 2018 at 12:00 amThank you, Olivia! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the soup. Hope it keeps you healthy this winter. 🙂
Tiffany says
October 14, 2018 at 5:51 pmWould this receipe stay good in the fridge for 7 days!? I made it and wasn’t able to finish it all in a week by myself! Wondering if I can still freeze it after 7 days, or just pitch it and play it safe!? It is delicious would hate to risk not liking it again!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
October 16, 2018 at 12:50 pmHi Tiffany! From a food safety standpoint, I like to recommend that fresh foods like this be eaten within 5 days. All food starts to grow bacteria immediately after it cools down. Some people will eat things as long as they don’t smell or look different than they did the first day, but I prefer to stay on the safe side. The choice is yours. 🙂
Heather says
October 8, 2018 at 4:26 pmI am going to make this tonight but going to sub the potato for butternut squash as that’s been my go to potato substitute and I know turmeric pairs well with squash. Excited to try it!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
October 9, 2018 at 11:39 pmThat sounds like a delicious substitution, Heather. I hope you enjoy the soup!
Sandy says
September 27, 2018 at 6:11 pmDoes this freeze well? I’d like to make it and have on hand for when sickness strikes. If I’m the sick one, the last thing I want to do is have to cook. LOL!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
September 28, 2018 at 4:48 amIt freezes beautifully, Sandy. Here’s hoping you won’t need to use it to bust the flu any time soon! 🙂
Cassie says
September 20, 2018 at 2:06 pmLoved loved loved the soup It was amazing the only problem I had was I added the exact amount of cayenne pepper you said and it still ended up to Spicy-1/4 tsp other then that flavor was good any idea of how I can save it to cut back on the spicy ness ?? Thank you 💖
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
September 21, 2018 at 4:32 pmAww. I’m sorry that the soup ended up too spicy for your liking, Cassie. You can try diluting it with some extra broth, or add more vegetables to tone down the spice. I hope you find a way to enjoy it.
Christin Sanders says
June 11, 2018 at 7:35 pmHello! Do you know about how big each serving of soup is? I made this some time ago and loved it, but now that I’m going to make it again, I can’t remember what the portion sizes were like.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
June 12, 2018 at 1:45 pmHi Christin!
I wrote the recipe for 8 servings of about 1/2 cup each.
Kansas Keeton says
June 3, 2018 at 5:57 amI always make a point to leave comments on food that I really felt was worth all the effort. This was an excellent soup with a great consistency that I ate with slices of a buttered baguette that I roasted in the oven for 6 min. It was EXCELLENT with the bread and even very good on its own. I also added about a tablespoon of raw chopped garlic at the end because the immunity-boosting benefits of raw garlic far exceed those of cooked garlic. Hoping this soup kicks whatever I’ve got. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
June 3, 2018 at 4:05 pmI am so happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup. You’re definitely right about the immunity boost from garlic, and I hope it did the trick for getting you back into good health. Thank you for the comment and rating of my recipe!
Samantha says
May 29, 2018 at 1:52 pmI came down with something this weekend and am making this exactly as described as we speak! Smells amazing and I love the turmeric and cayenne because I know they’re amazing for colds but I hate them in tea!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
June 3, 2018 at 4:10 pmI hope you enjoyed the soup recipe, Samantha. Get well soon!
Nanette says
January 21, 2018 at 10:51 amThis soup is Delicious! My kiddos don’t like creamed soup. So, I just left the veggies solid.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 22, 2018 at 9:00 amI’m so happy to hear that you made the recipe work for your kids, Nanette. Thanks for your comment!
lilly says
January 12, 2018 at 12:58 pmLooks delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Tammy says
September 5, 2017 at 10:31 pmThis was really delicious. I left out the oil and yogurt and topped with pumpkin seeds. Will definitely make it again.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
September 6, 2017 at 1:22 pmAdding crunchy pumpkin seeds sounds like a great addition, Tammy. I’m glad you enjoyed the soup!
Amanda says
May 23, 2017 at 6:05 pmLove this soup! Such a yummy way to sneak in a ton of veggies.
Do you have any sense of the nutritional content or calories in the recipe? Also, I doubled the recipe and estimated that to make 8 servings – does that seem like the right amount?
Thanks!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
May 25, 2017 at 4:02 pmHi Amanda. Doubling the recipe for 8 servings sounds just right. I entered the recipe into the nutritional calculator on MyFitnessPal.com and it says the soup is 186 calories per serving.
Natasha says
January 24, 2017 at 2:23 pmis a stalk of celery the whole bunch? i feel like thats a lot of celery but i’ll do it if that’s what it is
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 31, 2017 at 12:19 pmHi Natasha. No, a stalk of celery is just one piece from a whole bunch of celery. I hope that helps! 🙂
Pamela Spears says
January 6, 2017 at 2:55 pmI was so excited to see all the great reviews on this soup but was disappointed when I made it. The flavors are really strong and just not very appealing. I love the concept though and didn’t want to waste it so I sautéed a bag of spinach along with a handful of Cilantro and a little more Garlic. Then I added another can of Chicken Broth to the spinach and boiled it down like the soup recipe. After I blended that up and added to the original soup I added 1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese. So glad I did because it’s a keeper????
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 9, 2017 at 2:55 pmHi Pamela,
I’m sorry to hear that the flu buster soup wasn’t to your liking at first, but I’m happy to hear that you were able to adjust the recipe to create something that you enjoy! I like your idea of adding spinach to the soup, too!
Natalie says
January 6, 2017 at 10:05 amI don’t eat white potatos could I replace them with either white beans or tofu and if I use the tofu would I add it towards the end if the cooking process.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 9, 2017 at 2:58 pmHi Natalie!
I don’t use tofu very often, so I’m afraid I don’t have much feedback to give you, other than that if you’re going to add tofu, I would suggest trying a silken tofu that is a bit firmer. Otherwise, it may be too soggy for your liking. Adding white beans is a great idea, though!
Tina says
January 2, 2017 at 6:50 pmWe are fighting the flu here right now – desperately needed something to help, but the usual remedies (chicken noodle soup) are out since we are WFPB. I made this tonight without the oil, and the full amount of Cayenne. It seriously is tackling our cold symptoms. I don’t know how long the relief will last, but I’ll take it for as long as it does. Thanks so much for sharing this – My husband really liked it too and that’s saying something.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 4, 2017 at 11:40 amI’m so sorry to hear that you’re fighting the flu, Tina, but incredibly happy to hear that the flu buster soup is working its wonders. Get well soon!
Nikki says
December 12, 2016 at 1:22 pmI just love this soup! I don’t even puree it, and leave the veggies as they are. So easy and so delicous. My eight year old son loves it too!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
December 15, 2016 at 12:38 pmI’m so glad that you and your son enjoy the flu buster soup, Nikki. Great idea to leave the veggies unpureed, too!
Kay says
October 23, 2016 at 9:31 pmAnyone tried this is the crockpot?
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
November 1, 2016 at 11:58 amI have not, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t. I would, perhaps, just start with a little less liquid and add more if you need it.
Laurel says
October 3, 2016 at 10:14 pmWONDERFUL! I made this tonight and the family loved it! Both teens and husband thought it was a perfect fall soup. I doesn’t make a whole lot– only enough left over for 1 person. Next time I’ll definitely double it and try it in the crock pot. I pureed mine in the Vitamix and we served it with goat cheese and cilantro on top, and naan bread. Full of vegetables and no one knew. I even added a few cubes of homemade bone broth to the veggie broth I used in the recipe. Thank you!
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
October 6, 2016 at 2:30 pmWe’re so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Laurel. What a great idea to make a batch in your Vitamix!
Ann says
September 9, 2016 at 8:57 pmMade the Flu Buster soup and have been having it for lunch all week. It is wonderful and so filling! I work with special needs children who are sick a lot and love sharing germs, so if this great soup helps me fight those germs then so be it! Will make it often this school year.
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
September 12, 2016 at 5:24 pmI’m so happy that you’re enjoying the flu buster soup, Ann. I hope it helps you to stay healthy around those “germy” kids! 🙂
Becky says
August 22, 2016 at 8:56 pmDo you think you could omit the potato or substitute with sweet potato? I am allergic to the nightshades. Thanks
Brianne Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
August 29, 2016 at 12:10 pmThanks for your question, Becky. You can absolutely leave the potato out of the flu buster soup recipe. Potato does help to thicken it, though, so if you’re able to eat sweet potato, I would definitely use a small one in place of the two small potatoes. Otherwise, you could always add some extra cauliflower, or even some butternut or acorn squash would be a tasty thickener.
Laura Dembowski says
January 16, 2016 at 10:20 amI eat garlic everyday to try to prevent illness. I’m also a big fan of all the other foods in this soup. Plus, soup is just such a great healthy meal.
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 18, 2016 at 8:48 pmYes, no need to be sick to enjoy this soup!
Linda says
October 19, 2014 at 6:26 pmWe love this. Delicious and effective.
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
October 19, 2014 at 8:25 pmOh great!
Brittany says
April 1, 2014 at 1:08 pmWow, this is delicious! I was a little skeptical that my husband and children would eat it, but we all loved it! Which is great considering my little man is sick. =(
Brianne Izzo says
April 2, 2014 at 9:49 amOh good! Hopefully he is better soon!
Dana says
December 11, 2013 at 3:06 pmOh, I just made this soup and it’s DELICIOUS! I love how the lemon brightens the flavor and I also love how healthy it is 🙂 Hope it kicks my cold, but either way I’ll be enjoying it. Now if only I can get my kids to try some…
-Dana
Brianne Izzo says
December 13, 2013 at 8:58 pmThe lemon totally makes it! Hope your kids ended up eating it.
Deanna Segrave-Daly says
January 24, 2013 at 1:22 pmHoly heck, I’m not usually this paranoid but this flu epidemic is crazy. I think I will be serving your Flu Buster soup weekly – it’s chockfull of so much goodness (love your IV drip comment above 🙂
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 24, 2013 at 2:08 pmI know! And it figures that the last time we had flu craziness was with the swine flu and I was pregnant that winter, too! So I am also paranoid, even though I got a flu shot.
Regan @ The Professional Palate says
January 24, 2013 at 6:24 amOh how I needed this early December!
This looks amazingly delicious & awfully comforting ;0
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
January 24, 2013 at 8:45 amI think there are lots of people who could use some of this in an IV drip this winter!