Thyme& gingersoup

I ALWAYS recommend broths and soups for patients and colleagues during a viral illness such as the flu. Soups are a great way to introduce micronutrients to support your body’s defences when you’re not feeling strong enough to make a complicated meal or you lack appetite. My inclination is always to make a turmeric and chilli ‘medicinal broth’ like the one in my first book, however it’s not always to everyone’s taste. This is a more lightly spiced version, with thyme and ginger as the central antiviral ingredients. You’ll love the mellow flavours in this and it’s sure to comfort when you’re feeling poorly.

SERVES 4

l 2 tbsp coconut oil l 6 garlic cloves, peeled l 10cm piece of root ginger, peeled and grated, plus extra to serve

l 2 tsp ras el hanout (North African spice), plus extra to serve l 200g new potatoes, scrubbed l 200g carrots, scrubbed and roughly chopped

l 100g dry sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) or use fresh tomatoes

l 25g thyme stalks, tied together with string, plus extra leaves to serve l 1 bay leaf l 1.2 litres boiling water l 100g spinach, roughly chopped MELT the coconut oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 2 minutes until lightly browned, then add the spice blend, potatoes, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, bunch of thyme and bay leaf, stirring for a few minutes to marry the flavours in the oil. Pour in 1 litre of the boiling water, cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are soft. Take off the heat, remove the thyme bunch and bay leaf and add the spinach and the remaining 200ml water. Cover and cook for a further 2 minutes to wilt the greens. Serve the soup as a consomme or blend the ingredients with a stick blender until the soup has a smooth consistency. Divide the soup among bowls and garnish with a dash of the ras el hanout freshly grated ginger and extra thyme leaves.

DOCTOR’S ORDERS: Swap the carrots and potatoes for peeled butternut squash, parsnips or swede, or a combination of these Avoid seasoning the dish, as the dry sun-dried tomatoes tend to be quite salty.