Denver restaurant serves up Thai ‘flu shot soup’ remedy this season

By MEKIALAYA WHITE

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    DENVER, Colorado (KCNC) — A surge of sickness continues as reports of families getting the flu and COVID are on the rise nationwide and in Colorado. Recently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention called this flu season the worst in a decade. One Colorado restaurant says it has the remedy.

For decades, family-owned restaurant Taste of Thailand off South Broadway has cooked up “Flu Shot Soup” using a specially developed recipe. The homegrown herbs and spices, Noy Farrell says, are the perfect concoction to help boost your immune system and cure those winter blues.

Farrell gave CBS News Colorado’s Mekialaya White a look at how the savory soup is made. “Lemongrass ginger, Thai chili, more lemongrass, fried garlic, onion, black pepper, lots of cilantro, bok choy, celery, carrots,” Noy detailed the ingredients. “And this is a wonton in here with chicken garlic ginger, black pepper, then we grind and wrap it in the wonton paper.”

“It all goes into a boiling pot. We simmer all day, so if you come at 8 o’clock, it’s very spicy,” said Farrell.

She says it’s all based on traditional medicine in Thailand, which she and her husband Rick wanted to introduce in Denver. “(Our restaurant) used to be in front of Swedish Hospital. And one year, we had bad cold over the country… So, my sister we came up with making some spicy soup, add this and that.”

The recipe is now going strong, 20 years later. If you’d like to try to the soup for yourself, stop by Taste of Thailand through April. Farrell will serve up the soup with a smile. You can also try to make a similar soup yourself:

Ingredients:

6 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock 1-2 chicken breasts, sliced or tofu cut into cubes 1 lemongrass stalk or 3 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass 4 kaffir limes leaves (fresh or frozen) 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1 thumb-size piece ginger, grated 1-3 fresh red chilies, minced (to taste), or substitute 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. dried crushed chili 1/2 can good-quality coconut milk 2 tbsp. lime juice

Preparation:

1. Slice and mince the lower portion of the lemongrass stalk. Retain the upper stalk for the soup pot. 2. Place chicken broth in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. 3. Add chicken and mushrooms. Also add the prepared lemongrass (including upper stalk pieces), plus kaffir lime leaves and fresh chili. Boil 5 to 8 minutes, or until chicken is cooked. 4. Turn heat down to medium. ginger, 1/2 can coconut milk, Simmer gently 1 to 2 minutes. 5. Turn heat down to minimum. Add lime juice and stir. 6. If desired, you can also add vegetables such as broccoli.

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