Medicine Soup

As we head into fall, I thought I'd repost my medicine soup recipe. Since I created this, I have found out I am once again allergic/highly sensitive to citric acid, so I'll be leaving out the lemon for my own batches this year.:

Here is my (highly adaptable) recipe for Medicine Soup.

First, you may replace any of these ingredients to suit your own palate, BUT this soup is all about the curative, not about the cuisine.

Amounts are generalized, use what you have, and more of the flavors you like.

Ingredients:

-Oil (olive, canola, butter, margarine, whatever you want to use) The oil is an important ingredient, as some medicinal constituents are only released in oil.
-Garlic: as much as you can stand. I use the pre-minced for ease. You can cut up your own cloves, the finer you mince it, the more powerful per clove it is. I usually put in a 1/4 cup for 4 cups of broth.
-Chili peppers: again, as much as you can stand. I use my favorite garlic chili paste from Viet Nam, Tung Ot Toi (green lid, bright red paste, with a rooster on the front.
-Ginger: If using fresh, one of the small knobs (child thumb size) will do, use more if you like it lots. If using dried, about 1/4 to 1/2 a tsp. I use a rasp instead of a knife, its easier.
-Lemon: 1 whole lemon, rasp the skin right into the broth, then squeeze the juice and reserve it 'til the very last step. You can just use prepared out-of-the-bottle juice, about 1/4 cup.
-Herbs and other spices: Parsley is great if you have post nasal drip, dill is good for an upset tum, as is basil, thyme and oregano (or marjoram, which I prefer),You can add pretty much any kitchen herb or spice with medicinal use. Thyme is also good for a cough. Here is a decent ARTICLE with some ideas.
-Noodles : If I'm feeling poorly, I often use any egg noodles or spatzle I have on hand, If I am up to it, I often make rivvles with my grandmother's recipe. Here's a similar RECIPE you can use. (Grandma Metzger's is 1 cup of flour, a plop of oil, a bit of salt, an egg, mix it all up and drop the rivvles into the boiling broth by finger pinches.)
-Broth: I use Kitchen Basics Chicken Stock almost exclusively. It just tastes best to us, and only has half the salt of most other brands, without any loss of flavor. Use what you like best. It is 4 cups a carton, and I use one carton per batch.

put oil in soup pot.
add garlic, ginger, and chili pepper sauce. (and any ground or root spices like cinnamon or turmeric)
add broth
add lemon zest
when boiling, add noodles, spatzle, or rivvles, and 'green' herbs.
When noodles are cooked, turn off heat and add lemon juice.

I usually ladle a cup of the broth out when I'm feeling particularly rough, and wait on the noodles until I feel better.