Not a drink, but a soup that will help to boost your immune system. It has been said that there is no food or supplement that can rival mushrooms for their direct immune boosting benefits. This soup has such a warm, soul-heartening feel to it too: good for the cold winter days, especially when everyone at school/work is sneezing all around you! The turmeric (along with black pepper, which helps its absorption) is something I am starting to use much more often as it is another immune booster and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent (perfect for my knees, which play up a lot!). Add some lemongrass for extra flavour if you like.

Serves: 4-6

What You’ll Need:

• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 400g Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and finely diced
• 3–4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1.1 litres vegetable stock
• 100g shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 100g oyster mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red chilli, thinly sliced into rings (optional)
• 1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Juice of ½ lime
• Leaves from ½ bunch of fresh coriander
• Sea salt and a good amount of freshly ground
• Black pepper

What To Do:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a low–medium heat and sauté the onion and Jerusalem artichokes for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften and turn golden.
• Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for another minute. Add the stock, mushrooms, chilli, if using, and turmeric, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for about 12–15 minutes until the Jerusalem artichokes are completely tender.
• Stir in the lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Either leave the soup as it is or blend until smooth in a liquidiser or with a stick blender. Finish by stirring the coriander leaves through and serve.

Recipe by Lorraine Pascale