Long before modern medicine offered shelves of over-the-counter cold medicines at local drug stores, Southern mothers and grandmothers had natural remedies to help alleviate the discomfort of a common cold. Crowning that list is a cocktail of sorts that soothes a sore throat aids in relieving sinus pressure and acts as a sleeping agent to combat the disquieting body aches typical of the worst colds.
Legend has it, that back in the early '70s my father was sent to the liquor store in GA to pick up a bottle of whiskey. My sisters and I had just been diagnosed with a croup-like cough. While entering the ABC store, he ran right into our Methodist minister exiting. After a few uncomfortable seconds, they realized that they were both holding the same prescription for a Hotty Toddy written in our pediatrician's handwriting. For this reason, 50 years later, my mother will cross state lines to pick up her yearly bottle of Barcardi to make her Christmas Rum Cake.
I will never forget that first swig of prescriptive deliciousness. Lemon and honey coat the throat and cut through the unpleasant mucus lingering in the head; the whiskey offers nothing more than sweet warmth to the beverage, and then takes a more aggressive approach in combatting congestion. After drinking the concoction, it both puts you at ease and helps you drift into sleep so your body can recover.
Make no mistake, I still run to the drug store as quickly as you do when I’m not feeling well, but there's a level of comfort in sipping something warm, delicious, and wildly helpful in squelching the biting symptoms of seasonal sickness, in addition to taking the cold medicine working in our systems.
Admittedly times have changed, and while I never offered the whisky remedy to my own children, I still think back fondly on those memories. Simply because my parents still have that same bottle of Wild Turkey sitting in their kitchen cabinet.
Lemon-Dill White Bean Potato Soup "Get Well Soon Stew"
- olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion - diced finely
- 1 medium carrot - diced finely
- 2 stalks celery - diced finely
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 baby yellow potatoes (about 1lb) - cut in half
- 2 (15 ounces) cans large white beans
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- zest from 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from about 2 medium lemons), plus more for garnishing
- 1 small bunch dill (about ⅓ cup packed) - stemmed and chopped, plus more for garnishing
- crème fraîche and feta for garnish
- Warm a soup pot over medium heat and add a generous pour of oil once the pot is hot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and a pinch of salt. Sauté over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the other vegetables are soft.
- Add the garlic, black pepper, red pepper flakes to taste, coriander, and caraway seeds. Cook for about another 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the potatoes and another generous pinch of salt. Add the beans, broth, and bay leaves. Mix, cover, and bring to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender.
- Remove bay leaves. Transfer about half the soup to an upright blender, along with the miso, and blend until just smooth. You can also do this with an immersion blender, leaving some of the soup chunky. Return the blended soup to the pot. Mix and taste for salt/pepper, adjust if needed. Turn off the heat and mix in the lemon zest, juice, and dill. Serve the soup warm, garnished with crème fraîche, feta, lemon wedges, more dill, and red pepper flakes.
- Note: The flavor and acidity of fresh lemon juice dissipate quite quickly, so I recommend serving any leftovers with more squeezes of lemon juice in each bowl.
