Immune Boosting Mushroom Soup

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years for a variety of purposes from enhancing dream states to promoting good health. This recipe is contains inulin rich burdock root, tumour fighting shitake and good old chicken stock. If you are vegetarian use chicken flavoured bouillon cubes as a substitute. Adapted from The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods by Michael Murray, ND.

2 oz. dried astragalus root
5 dried shitake mushrooms
2 oz. fresh burdock root, sliced
1 teaspoon organic ginger root, sliced
2 cups chicken broth or stock

Tie the astragalus in a square of cheesecloth and let soak for 30 minutes in chicken stock with mushrooms, ginger and burdock. Let simmer over a low heat for 1 hour. Remove cheesecloth and astragalus. Add other ingredients as you would a normal soup or use to cook grains. Better yet, add 1 teaspoon of miso paste to a cup of above broth and drink when feeling under the weather.