Cold and flu season has arrived, and nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo says the key to supporting your immune system is not a quick fix but the foods you eat consistently every day. Appearing on Sunrise, Di Lorenzo shared evidence-backed ingredients linked to immune health, from garlic and ginger to fermented foods and oily fish, while also revealing the surprising food that is attracting major attention in current research: mushrooms.
Ingredients
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- 1 whole chicken or 1kg chicken bones/carcass
- 2 litres cold water
- 8 garlic cloves, crushed and roughly chopped
- 60 grams fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp black pepper, cracked
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
- 1 brown onion, halved
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white miso paste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 large handful fresh parsley
- 1 handful shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pinch sea salt
Method
Step 1: Crush the garlic and rest for 10 minutes
Crush 8 garlic cloves and set aside for 10 minutes before using. This resting time is critical. Crushing garlic activates the enzyme alliinase, which converts alliin to allicin. Skipping this step significantly reduces the immune benefit of the garlic.
Step 2: Start the broth
Place 1 whole free-range chicken or 1kg chicken bones/carcass in a large pot with 2 litres of cold water and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. The apple cider vinegar is not for flavour — it draws collagen, calcium, and minerals from the bones into the broth, dramatically increasing its nutritional density. Bring slowly to the boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
Step 3: Add the immune ingredients
Add 8 garlic cloves, 60 grams fresh ginger, 1 brown onion, halved, 2 medium carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp black pepper, and 1 handful shiitake or button mushrooms. Reduce heat to the lowest possible simmer — you want small bubbles, not a rolling boil. A gentle simmer extracts more collagen and preserves more volatile immune compounds than aggressive boiling.
Step 4: Simmer low and slow
Simmer gently with the lid slightly ajar. The longer the better — 3 to 180 minutes produces a deeply flavoured, collagen-rich broth. The house will smell incredible. If using a whole chicken, remove it after 1.5 hours and shred the meat to add back at the end.
Step 5: Strain and add the miso
Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pot. Discard the spent vegetables and bones. Return the broth to very low heat. In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons of white miso paste with 3 tablespoons of warm broth until completely dissolved — never add miso directly to boiling liquid. Stir back into the broth gently.
Step 6: Finish and serve
Add the juice of 1 lemon, 1 pinch sea salt to taste, and 1 large handful of fresh parsley. If you reserved shredded chicken meat, add it back now. Taste — it should be deeply savoury, warming, and aromatic. Ladle into bowls or mugs. Drink immediately.
