Boost Your Immunity With the Winter Watercress Challenge

Did you know that by eating or one bag of watercress a week you can supercharge your health and immune system this winter? 

The Watercress Company, the UK's largest grower of watercress is encouraging us all to eat more of the nutrient-packed leafy green in their Winter Watercress Challenge.

Watercress is a winter superfood. Just one nutrient-packed bag of watercress a week (or more if you like) is a step in the right direction to give your immune system the tools it needs to do its job effectively.

According to the nutrient density index, watercress hits the maximum score of 1000¹, putting it in joint first place with kale and way ahead of other well-known superfoods like blueberries, edamame, broccoli or spinach.

Just 100g of watercress contains more than half our recommended intake of vitamin A, which is required for a strong immune system, as well as improving iron absorption.

Gram for gram, the plant contains more vitamin C than an orange, which also helps us to absorb iron more efficiently, more folate than a banana and more vitamin E than broccoli. This all contributes to a robust and resilient immune system, enhancing your ability to defend against illnesses.

Award-winning registered nutritionist, Dr Lucy Williamson says, “The key to a good diet is eating a variety of 30 different plants a week (don't worry, that includes spices, nuts, pulses and herbs too). Just including watercress once a week is a fantastic way to boost your nutrient levels.”

Tom Amery, managing director of The Watercress Company says, “Watercress is nature's immune-boosting powerhouse. Incorporating just one portion to your diet once a week will be a delicious step towards supporting your health and resilience.” 

Whether a handful of watercress is added to your meal, to soups, sandwiches or blitzed up into pesto, this versatile green is easy to incorporate into your family's meal.

To kick start your Winter Watercress Challenge, simply grab one bag of fresh watercress a week from your local supermarket, or from The Watercress Company: www.watercress.co.uk, and let the green superfood transform your winter wellness. 

Simple recipes to try:

Watercress Pesto 

40g Watercress

2 tbsp Olive oil

Handful of nuts – pine or hazelnut are good options

30g Hard cheese like Parmesan (plus extra for grating)

Salt

Add the watercress, oil, nuts, cheese and a generous pinch of salt to a blender and blitz until everything is combined. Loosen the mixture with the olive oil; add a little at a time until your desired consistency is reached. 

Watercress Soup with an Egg

Serves 2 | Prep time 10 mins Cook Time 20 mins

60g watercress

30g spinach

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 large potato, chopped small approx. 150g

50ml crème fraiche

2 eggs

In a pan, gently soften the shallot in a little oil before setting aside. 

In a pot, boil the chopped potato until soft. Add the watercress and spinach at the last moment, allow to cook for no more than a minute. Strain the mixture but reserve the cooking liquid. 

Add the shallot to the potato mixture and, using a hand blender, blitz everything together. Add the reserved cooking liquid a little at a time to thin it out to your desired texture. 

Stir though the crème fraiche and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

To serve, poach 2 eggs for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, until the whites are cooked but the yolk is runny. Serve the soup in 2 bowls and place an egg in each. 

Enjoy piping hot with crusty bread. 

Asda brings back soup, roll and unlimited Tea and Coffee for just £1 for the winter months

Asda has announced it’s bringing back it’s popular café ‘winter warmer’ £1 meal deal scheme to support the over 60s this winter, as they continue to face increased financial pressures during the cost-living crisis.

From 1st November until the end of February, Asda are offering people aged 60 and over the chance to enjoy soup, a roll and unlimited tea and coffee for just £1 in any of Asda’s 205 cafes. 

Asda first launched Winter Warmers in November 2022 for two months in a bid to support older customers who were disproportionately affected by spiralling living costs, with 65-to-74-year-olds experiencing a £163 year-on-year drop in disposable income in August 2022. The initiative saw over 650,000 £1 soup meals served.

The offer is available all day during the period in question and will run alongside the Kids eat for £1 offer which continues to be hugely popular, with over2.6 million meals served since its launch in June 2022, and over 180,000 in the last four weeks alone.

The latest figures from Asda’s income tracker reveal 40% of the lowest earning households still experienced negative disposable income in September, meaning their income doesn't cover what they need to spend on bills and other essentials.

Kris Comerford, Asda’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We know winter is set to be incredibly hard for thousands of pensioners as they continue to worry about how to keep themselves warm in the face of rising living costs and being on a fixed income.

"Last year we served over 650,000 meals to the over 60s in two months, by bringing the initiative back for 2023 and extending it until February we hope it will prove just as impactful across the winter months for those who need it most.”

Selected Asda stores also run a ‘Community Cuppa’ campaign in our cafes by creating space for community groups who may otherwise struggle to meet due to rental costs or high energy costs. Spaces will be available on weekdays in November and December from 2pm to 6pm and all community group members who visit will receive unlimited free tea or coffee.

www.asda.com

Give your winter soups a bit of a boost with Wing Yip

With winter around the corner it’s time to leave the lunchtime salads and sandwiches behind and opt for a warming soup to help us through the cold days.

Packed full of fresh ingredients and spicy flavours, Oriental soups are an inspiring alternative to the typical tomato, chicken or vegetable.

Served as a filling meal in a bowl, delicious and nutritious Oriental noodle-based soups are perfect for hungry appetites on a chilly day.

Leading Oriental grocer, Wing Yip, stocks a range of ingredients that are perfect for creating big saucepans of tasty and wholesome soups.

Mr Wing Yip said: “Soups are easy to make at home and are a great way of experimenting with new flavour combinations from simple ingredients – and ensure you add some Oriental spices and Wing Yip soup pastes to liven up the tastebuds.”

Wing Yip is the UK’s leading Chinese grocer, with stores in Birmingham, Manchester, Cricklewood and Croydon. With over 3,000 products from the Far East stocked online at www.wingyipstore.com and in store.

To get you started try the following popular Oriental soup recipes at home.

Hot and Sour Soup

This soup is popular because it has so many different flavours - pepper hot, slightly sweet and savoury. Our version uses spicy szechuan bean sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 jar Wing Yip Spicy Szechuan Bean Sauce
• 113g lean pork (finely sliced into strips)
• 28g Dried sliced Chinese mushrooms (soaked & shredded)
• 14g Wood Ear Fungus (soaked and shredded)
• 1/2 pkt Soft Tofu (cut into 1cm cubes)
• 850 ml (11/2 pts) chicken stock
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp Red or White Wine Vinegar
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 spring onion (finely chopped)
• 1 heaped tsp cornflour (mixed with 2 tsp water)
• 2 tsps peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation

1. Heat both oils in a large pan and gently fry sliced pork for 5 minutes.
2. Add Wing Yip Spicy Szechuan Bean Sauce, fungus, mushrooms and stock. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
3. Add pepper and vinegar, adjust seasoning, then the diced tofu.
4. Bring back to the boil and add cornflour.
5. Then add beaten egg in a stream, stirring carefully with a fork in a circular motion. Turn off heat and cover pan for 1 minute.
6. Serve with chopped spring onions to garnish.

Thai Spicy Noodle Soup

There are many versions of this ever popular street food but the vital ingredients are; good quality stock, lime juice, chillies and fresh herbs to garnish. A meal in a bowl, this recipe is quick and easy to prepare using a Tom Yum soup base. Recipe is for one so do double quantities if cooking for more.

Ingredients

• 1 small chicken breast or 100g minced pork
• 1 tsp cornflour (if using minced pork)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed with the flat side of a knife)
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 400-500ml chicken stock
• 1 tsp Mai Siam Tom Yum soup paste
• 5 Pak Choi leaves
• 1 handful bean sprouts
• 1 red chilli (optional)
• 3 sprigs fresh coriander
• 2 sprigs mint (take the leaves off the stems)
• 2 tsp Mai Siam fish sauce (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1-2 lime wedges
• 100g Mai Siam flat rice noodles (dry weight)

Preparation

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pan and quickly fry the garlic.
2. Before it burns, add the chicken stock and bring it to the boil.
3. Add the Tom Yum paste and when the soup is boiling, add the sliced chicken breast.
4. If using minced pork; season lightly with fish sauce and pepper, add 1 tsp of cornflour, mix well and form into balls the size of a small marble.
5. Drop the meatballs into the boiling stock and add fish sauce and a little sugar to taste.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the noodles in another pan by boiling in hot water.
7. Strain and keep aside.
8. When the meat is cooked, add the noodles and pak choi.
9. When the pak choi is al dente, take the noodles off the heat and pour into a large bowl.
10. Garnish with beansprouts, coriander and mint leaves.
11. Serves, steaming hot, with lime wedges.

www.wingyip.com/