Nourishing Chicken Soup Recipe

Chicken soup isn’t just good for the soul. A hot bowl of homemade chicken soup has long been regarded as a natural remedy for the common cold. While scientific research in recent years has backed the old wive’s tale to some degree, the jury is still out as to the exact reason why it helps relieve symptoms of a common cold. What we do know is that the hot soup can help to break up nasal congestion, the broth is warming and hydrating and adding in anti-inflammatory spices such as ginger and turmeric can help to relieve inflammation associated with having a cold. I’ve created a nourishing yet easy chicken soup recipe below. Because let’s face it, who wants to spend hours in the kitchen when you’re stuffed up with a cold?!

Ingredients:

2 litres of chicken stock*
2 cups shredded chicken (leftover roast chicken works perfectly)**
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 ½ cups finely chopped celery
1 onion, diced
1 ½ cups finely chopped carrots
5 cloves garlic, freshly minced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated turmeric (powdered turmeric can work as a substitute if you don’t have fresh)
1 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 cup of finely chopped fresh coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot. Add the chopped celery, carrots and onion.
2. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
3. Add the stock to the pot along with the shredded chicken. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, ginger, and turmeric and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper.
6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir through the coriander and parsley.
7. Serve hot on its own or with some sourdough bread. I like to top it with an additional handful of coriander.
8. For added benefits, find a sunny spot to enjoy it in the sun for a good dose of Vitamin D while you’re at it!

*In the name of keeping this recipe easy a.k.a “can’t be stuffed when stuffed up”, you can use a quality store-bought chicken stock. If you happen to have frozen bone broth on hand, then, of course, use that. I recommend looking up some crockpot recipes for making bone broth. While it takes 24 hours to make a good bone broth (hence the use of a crockpot), it is actually relatively easy to make. You basically just pop a chicken carcass (leftover from a roast chicken works perfectly) in a crockpot, throw in some vegetable scraps and onions, salt, a dash of apple cider vinegar and about 2 litres of water. Turn it on and within 24 hours you have a nutritional broth.

** If you’re unwell and wanting to make this recipe really quickly, a store-bought free-range chicken makes it super simple! 

Nutrition Bite: No chicken soup is complete without the addition of beneficial herbs! Parsley is a great source of vitamin C and antioxidants and so makes a welcome addition to this soup. Coriander helps to detoxify the body while also having antimicrobial qualities that can help to fight infection. Feel free to pile on more fresh herbs when serving!