Immune boosting chicken soup

This chicken soup is packed with nutrients and is great for boosting your immune system during the winter months. It is the perfect recipe to make when you are starting to feel a cold coming on, or when you are in the midst of one, as the warm liquid will help to ramp up the body's response to clearing mucous from the airways.

Slow cooking the chicken and using the apple cider vinegar draws all the nutrients out of the chicken bones. This can also help to promote a healthy gut and strong immune system. The soup is also packed with vitamins and has the added bonus of being easy to digest which allows your body to put its energy into healing.

Ingredients

Stock

  • 1 whole chicken
  • 1 large carrot (roughly chopped)
  • 2 celery stalks (chopped in half)
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp. chilli flakes
  • 1 onion – peeled & quartered
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Soup

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 leek – white part diced
  • 1 medium onion - diced
  • 2 celery stalks – diced
  • 2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
  • 1 cup quinoa (rinsed)
  • 2 medium carrots – diced
  • 1 parsnip – peeled and diced
  • ½ cup diced sweet potato
  • 1 cup broccoli florets (chopped to small pieces)
  • 4 tbsp. tamari (can also use soy sauce or Braggs all-purpose seasoning)
  • 1 tbsp. mixed herbs
  • 1 fresh small chilli 
  • 1 thumb sized piece ginger – grated

Method

  1. Add the whole chicken (unskinned) to a large pot and add all remaining stock ingredients.
  2. Cover the ingredients with 3 litres cold water and bring to the boil.
  3. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer, partially cover with a lid and cook for 2 hours.
  4. Use tongs to remove the chicken and place on a plate to cool slightly.
  5. Remove the solid pieces of vegetables and drain the remaining stock so only liquid is left – set aside. This forms the base of your soup (stock).
  6. To make the soup, add 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to the pot and heat. Add the chopped leek, onion, celery and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute.
  7. Next add the stock (which was set aside), quinoa, carrots, parsnip, sweet potato, broccoli, tamari, mixed herbs, chilli and ginger. Bring to a simmer.
  8. Whilst simmering, remove all the chicken meat from the whole chicken (discard fat) and add to the pot.
  9. Simmer soup for 30 minutes and serve with chopped fresh parsley on top.

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