Kick that cough, cold, or sore throat to the curb with this easy, immune-boosting sore throat tea! Made with nourishing herbs, it’s naturally packed with the vitamins and minerals your body needs while fighting a sore throat.

DIY herbal tea for sore throats from raiasrecipes.com #immunesystem #immuneboosting #sorethroat #tea #DIY #herbs #cough #homeremedies

It’s that time of year again.

You know, the time when everyone and their mom is getting sick (is it just me, or do dads never seem to get sick?). Every kid in school has a runny nose and/or cough, and moms freak out about their kids catching something. In other words, it’s time to build up your immune systems people! (Not that you shouldn’t be doing that any other time of the year…)

Even though my kiddos are homeschooled, they’re not immune from the viruses that go around the local schools. They still play with the neighbor kids (public school), and hang out with their cousins (charter school) and friends from church (private & homeschool). Stuff gets passed around, no matter how often you wash your hands!

And the fact that the holidays are around the corner (seriously? already?) doesn’t help, either. All that extra sugar breaks down immune systems, making us susceptible to sickness. 

herbs

Let’s get to work!

There are plenty of ways to boost your immune system. My kids love my homemade elderberry syrup, and during the fall season we also down more bone broth, since soups are more popular now that it’s not 5 million degrees outside. Another delicious way to strengthen your immune system is to eat more probiotic filled foods, like ferments. Sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, pickles, and lacto-fermented chutneys are a great way to help give your body the immunity it needs during the fall and winter.

But what if you missed all that and it’s too late? (Hint: it’s never too late.) Your nose is stuffy and your throat now hurts. What do you do? 

First: cut out the sugar! ASAP!

Second: make yourself some herbal, immune-boosting sore throat tea!

The other week when my 5-year old son came down with an awful cough from nasal drainage (we’re still working on proper nose-blowing technique) his throat was sore in no time. So I mixed him up a bunch of this easy herbal sore throat tea. He’s been drinking it like crazy the past week, not because he still needs it, but because he loves it! And since it not only soothes his throat, but also boosts his immune system, I don’t mind making him a fresh pot every day.

scoop of herbs

The immune-boosting players.

Full of amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, vitamins A & B and copious amounts of vitamin C, elderberries are an anti-viral, antibacterial, antioxidant and immune-boosting powerhouse even capable of destroying cold and flu viruses!

Licorice root a newly-found anti-viral that is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatoryproperties. It is also an effective expectorant, helping to loosen and expel mucous. Its soothing anti-inflammatory properties can quickly relieve a sore throat.

Add in some herbs.

Afraid of stinging nettles? Don’t be. (Well, you still shouldn’t try to pick them without gloves…) Nettle has been used for centuries to treat allergy symptoms and contains biologically active compounds that reduce inflammation and as well as the amount of histamine that the body produces as a response to an allergen.

Echinacea, or purple coneflower, stimulates the cells responsible for fighting infections, making our immune system more effective at attaching viruses and bacteria. 

Packed with vitamins C, A, K & E, potassium, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium, and selenium, and containing flavonoids, thyme is rich in antioxidants. It’s also an effective antibacterial and has a relaxing effect on muscles, making it effective for relieving asthma, whooping cough, laryngitis, bronchitis and dry coughs.

Herbal sore throat tea from raiasrecipes.com

Sweet goodness.

Top it all off with a dab of raw, local honey, which is full of vitamins and minerals (niacin, thiamine, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, vitamin C & B6, calcium, and iron, to name just a few)! Honey also has large amounts of friendly bacteria and is anti-fungal, and probiotic. 

Ready for the recipe? Get yourself a pot of hot water and a mug and let’s heal those sore throats!

Easy herbal tea for sore throats from raiasrecipes.com #immunesystem #immuneboosting #sorethroat #tea #DIY #herbs #cough #homeremedies

Note on the herbs: I usually purchase my herbs from Frontier Herbs or Starwest Botanicals, both of which I buy through amazon.com. I also like Mountain Rose Herbs and the Bulk Herb Store, as well.

In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!

Herbal Immune-Boosting Sore Throat Tea

Free from grain, gluten, eggs, dairy, and sugar.

Ingredients

Instructions

Measure herbs and berries into a glass jar and seal. Shake well to mix.

Steep 1 tablespoon of herbal tea mix in 12 ounces of boiling water.

When steeped, stir in a drop or two (or three) of raw, local honey.

Serve warm or chilled.

Notes

This recipe makes about a cup of herbal tea blend, which makes about 16 cups of herbal tea.

Raias Recipes - https://raiasrecipes.com

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Kick that sore throat to the curb with this easy herbal tea! #immunesystem #immuneboosting #sorethroat #tea #DIY #herbs #cough #homeremedies

You might also want to check out these other wonderful home remedies for colds and flu!