Read time: 5 minutes
Winter is in full swing, and there’s no better time to be proactive with your nutrition to protect your health. Vitamin C is one of the powerhouses of all the essential nutrients. In addition to a strong immune system, vitamin C has numerous other benefits, which you can read about here.
Here are three recipes bursting at the seams with vitamin C. They will be sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!
Kale and Lemon Chicken Soup
Nothing is better in cooler weather than a hearty soup, and this one will add some variety to your OG chicken soup recipe. We love the tang of the lemon and kale is packed with vitamin C. Use leftover bones and meat from a chicken dinner to create your own stock, or purchase chicken stock right off the shelf. Either way, it’s going to be a hit.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken, or several thighs and legs
- 1 onion
- 3 carrots
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 fennel bulb
- 6 garlic cloves
- Several thyme, sage, and rosemary sprigs
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lemons
- 1 tsp peppercorn
- salt
- ½ cup of wild rice or grain of your choice
For broth:
- Place chicken, peppercorns, onion, carrot, bay leaves, herbs, 3 garlic cloves, 2 celery stalks and 1 tbsp of salt in a large stock pot and cover with 7-8 cups of water. Cut woody stalks from fennel and add to the pot along with fronds. Save the fennel bulb.
- Place pot over high heat and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. If the chicken floats, top with a plate to keep it submerged. Keep chicken on a plate for later.
- Strain the broth through a sieve or a cheesecloth, back in the large stock pot. Discard the ingredients caught by strainer/cheesecloth.
Making the soup:
- Cook the rice according to directions. Add rice to broth.
- While rice is cooking, heat oil in a separate pan, and mince remaining garlic cloves, chop the celery, carrots, onion, and fennel bulb. Cook in the oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to the broth in a stock pot.
- Chop kale and remove large stems if any. Saute the kale for about 2 minutes (look to see that it is bright green). Transfer to broth. It will continue to cook there.
- Chop chicken and add to stock pot.
- Squeeze in the juice of 1-2 lemons, as desired. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes, lid on.
- Serve hot with a slice of bread if desired. Enjoy!
Blackened Salmon with Mango & Papaya Salsa
Still craving flavors that bring you back to summer? Mango and papaya bring a sweet twist and contrast perfectly with the blackened, smoky flavor imbued in this salmon dish. Best part is that papaya and mango are bursting with vitamin C! No palm trees and sunshine needed for this tropical experience.
Ingredients:
- 2 large mangoes diced
- 1 papaya diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1/2 red onion diced
- handful of cilantro finely chopped
- 1 lime
Ingredients for salmon:
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb of freshwater or farmed salmon fillet
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
For salsa:
- Combine mangoes, bell peppers, onions, and cilantro.
- Add lime juice and salt. Stir, add salt to taste. Set aside.
For salmon:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
- Put oregano, smoked paprika, garlic and olive oil in a bowl and season. Rub the marinade into the flesh of fish.
- Place the vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over high heat. Warm for 1-2 minutes until the oil is smoking, then add the fish, marinated-side down, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the flesh has blackened. Transfer to the oven, then bake for 10 minutes until just a little rare in the center.
- Transfer to plate, top with salsa, serve warm.
- Optional: good sides are arugula salad dressed lightly or quinoa served warm.
Pistachio & Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries
Looking for something indulgent and sweet that still packs your vitamin C? These strawberry treats are a lighter option to your typical winter dessert. Perfect for a night in or a gift for a loved one with a sweet tooth. Bonus! Pistachios and strawberries both contain vitamin C. Super simple, super cute, and super tasty!
Ingredients:
- 1 pint of large or medium strawberries
- 2 cups of milk or dark chocolate, melted
- 1/2 chopped unsalted/salted pistachios
- Wooden skewers
- Pink decorating sugar, optional
Directions for dipping:
- Clean strawberries, chop off ends and discard. Place strawberries on skewers (one per skewer).
- Melt chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly and taking care not to burn (if it’s clumping, it’s burning).
- Dip each strawberry halfway into chocolate, coating each in a light layer of chocolate. Place each on a baking sheet or plate lined with parchment.
- Crush pistachios in a bag with a rolling pin. They should be fine pieces, breadcrumb size.
- Sprinkle pistachios lightly on the top side of each strawberry before chocolate sets. Sprinkle lightly with pink decorating sugar if a more indulgent treat is desired.
- Place the tray in the fridge until dried and cool. Serve on a plate. Share and enjoy!
The EZ Melts Difference
These recipes are sure to please and give you a C-boost, but for your daily vitamin C, we suggest a supplement like EZ Melts. It’s important to have a daily routine of feeding your body the nutrients it needs. Supplements are the easiest and quickest way of ensuring you get the correct amount.
Check out our Zero Sugar, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO quick melting vitamin C tablets in a customer-approved delicious flavor!
Many vitamin supplements are solid and have a ton of chemical additives, which can cause stomach upset, so quality matters. Make sure you are choosing a brand that cares about what they put into their supplements as much as you care about what goes into your body. Thanks for being a part of our community!
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Written by Annie-Eliza Stevens