Jade Screen Carrot-Ginger Soup

Cold and Flu season is already upon us- so stay warm and strengthen your immune system with Chinese herbs as a stock for this delicious carrot/ginger soup.

You'll need: 3 tbls. olive oil, 2 cups chopped yellow onion, 4 garlic cloves minced, one 5" piece of ginger chopped, 1 tbls. dried basil or a handful of chopped fresh, 10 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly, 1 thinly sliced yellow finn potato, juice of half a lemon, 1 tbls. tamari, freshly ground pepper, 3 tbls. cilantro (save a little for garnish), 5 cups chicken or veggie broth and finally 1 cup of the Jade Screen formula i.e. 9 grams ea. of Astagalus, Atractylodes and Siler. (HuangQi, BaiZhu & FangFeng).

This is what you do:
Soak the herbs in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes while you start slicing your carrots and prepping the other ingredients. Start the flame under the herbs and bring up to a boil then down to a simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and set aside. Next heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and sautee over high heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the basil carrots and potato and cook for 5 minutes. Add the herbs and broth, cover the pot, reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are soft, 30-40 minutes.
In a blender or food processor, blend the soup and herb formula until smooth and return to the stove. Add the lemon juice, tamari and pepper to taste. Stir in the cilantro and simmer another 5 minutes.
Now you are ready to garnish and serve your therapeutic soup as you imagine a protective jade screen shielding you from cold and flu season.


Historical Note: This formula "Yu Ping Feng San" -The Jade Screen Decoction has been used traditionally to strengthen the Spleen Qi (digestive energy) and to boost the Lungs' ability to spread the "protective Qi" to the surface of the body.