Chicken Soup for the Soul (and the sinuses)
Flu season is in full swing here in Nevada and almost everyone I talk to has someone in their home sick or feeling under the weather.
I was chatting with a friend of mine a couple says ago and she said her husband and two kids all had it. Yikes! She asked me if I had any good chicken soup recipes… oh boy.
I created this recipe last year. My mom was visiting (during flu season) and we both were not feeling 100%. After cruising the internet for a while, I was disappointed that I couldn’t find a really great recipe with all of the great immune boosting ingredients that I believe made chicken soup the great cure all and comfort food it is today. I whipped this up one afternoon and we ate and sipped the broth for some much needed rest and recovery.
Now, this year, I’m ready to share.
This recipe is made with bone broth for nourishing protein (I’ll do a post on how I make that later.) fresh ginger and cayenne to clear those sinuses and turmeric for anti-inflammatory properties. It’s got a bit of a kick but it can be adjusted and tamed with some extra water and noodles or riced cauliflower. While I have measurements for all of the spices, do what works for your family and palette.
Homemade Chicken Soup
Ingredients:
4 chicken thighs (I used bone-in but boneless is fine)
3 celery stalks, chopped
3-5 medium carrots, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1tsp salt, plus some for taste
1tsp pepper, plus some for taste
2tsp turmeric
1 inch fresh ground ginger (sub 1 1/2 tsp ginger powder)
1/2tsp cayenne
1Tbsp rosemary, chopped
2-4 cups bone broth (depending on how soupy you want your end result)
Optional: noodles, rice, or riced cauliflower
Instructions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, sautee onion, carrots, celery and garlic until onions are soft and fragrant.
Add chicken thighs and allow to begin to brown.
Add in 2-4 cups of water, just enough to cover the chicken in your pot and allow then to cook. Add turmeric, ginger, pepper, salt, cayenne, rosemary and allow chicken to finish cooking through.
Once chicken is fully cooked, remove all meat from the bones and return to the pot. Add bone broth and allow to heat through.
If you wish to add noodles or riced cauliflower they can be cooked with the soup, adding water as needed. If you wish to serve over rice, I recommend cooking separately and bring together to serve.
Notes:
This recipe is very forgiving. You can adjust and spice quantities to your liking.
Sub in chicken breast if desired. 2-3 large breasts, remove after cooking and shred, then add back in.
Keep the noodles separate and freeze for a quick meal when someone isn’t feeling well.
