Things I want you to know about this Healing Chicken Soup: it is crunchy, salty, and so fresh. It’s super satisfying thanks to juicy and garlic-ginger-turmeric-infused chicken thighs and soul-soothing broth, and it can be (read: must be) loaded with an abundance of fresh radishes and purple cabbage and lots of tomatoes. It’s also gluten-free & keto-friendly!
This soup feels like an extremely delicious medical miracle. (*not a doctor, and maybe just a bit prone to exaggeration.*) I am convinced that it’s healing and happy for the body and the soul. One sip of this healing chicken broth followed by the crisp crunchiness of the fresh vegetables may turn you into a believer.
These are very unpredictable times we are in right now, and my heart goes out to everyone who is facing difficulty and loss during this time. I’m doing my best to stay level-headed and remind myself that this shall pass cause nothing in this life lasts.
One thing that remains predictable in all of this?
We need food, for our physical bodies, and also for nourishing our souls. Especially in a time where so much feels like it’s just too much, I find making and eating delicious food can become a very centring. It’s just a small way to focus, provide, spark joy.
It’s so important to be grounded during this time to keep our immune system ready for whatever may come along our way. It takes us out of the hypotheticals and brings us back to focusing on caring for ourselves and others in real-time. It is not rooted in the future but in the now. It is very present and fully human.
One thing that remains predictable in all of this?
You need to eat. Your kids need to eat. We all need to eat. ♡
What you'll need to make this healing chicken soup?
- Chicken broth: My broth is nothing out of the ordinary, all the usual gang of aromatics can be found in this stock. Onions, celery, carrots, garlic, & bay leaves and to make it extra healing turmeric and ginger joined in on the party. And of course chicken, it wouldn’t be a chicken broth without chicken.
- Chicken Meat: I used two chicken thighs in the broth. Once the thighs are cooked I removed the skin and bones and added the meat back into the recipe.
- Fresh Vegetables: I used red cabbage, tomatoes, and radishes to top the soup off. But don’t feel limited to just these ingredients. thinly sliced bell peppers, regular cabbage, kale, zucchini, and small turnips could be used instead. Just slice them thinly so they cook in the residual heat from the broth.
- Fresh Herbs: I used parsley, but you could again use any herb you wish for this soup. I think basil or cilantro would really a nice swap.
Step to making this recipe
- Make the Stock: Heat oil in a large pot add the onions, celery, & carrots. Saute for 5 minutes. You just want to bring out some of the flavours of the vegetables before adding the rest of the ingredients. Once everything is smelling good add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 11/2 hours on the stove-top.
- Prepare Vegetables: well the stock is cooking prep your vegetable toppings. Set aside.
- Strain the Broth: Remove the chicken from the pot, set it aside and let cool enough to handle. Strain the stock and compost the leftover vegetables.
- Assemble the Soup: In a soup bowl add the chicken, pour hot broth over the chicken, and top with veggies.
That’s it too making this delicious soup! Super easy, delicious, healing chicken soup coming your way!
Variation ideas :
To make this soup a more substantial meal by adding these Ingredients into the stock.
- Pasta
- Rice
- Cooked Beans
The variations to this soup are truly endless and stock can be used in any recipe calling for chicken broth/stock. Just cook the additions in the finished stock until they’re fully cooked
More soup Recipes to Try
- Lebanese Lentil & Chard Soup
- Makhlouta-Lebanese Whole Grain Stew
- Libyan Sharba
- Mediterrean Lentil Soup
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Healing Chicken Soup
Ingredients
Chicken Stock:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon Sea Salt
- Fresh cracked black Pepper
- 4 garlic cloves smashed open
- 2 Bone-in, chicken thighs
- 2 carrots chopped into big pieces
- 2 celery chopped
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger root roughly chopped
- 1 Inch piece fresh turmeric roughly chopped
- 1 Indian bay leaves
- 1 handful of parsley
Soup Toppings:
- ½ cup red cabbage thinly sliced
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 2-4 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 4 Fresh Plum tomatoes diced
Instructions
- Prepare broth. In a large dutch oven or stock-pot, add the olive oil, onions, celery, and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes to help bring out all the sweet aromatic flavours.
- Add the rest of the broth ingredients. Add the chicken, turmeric, ginger, salt & parsley. Cover the ingredients with hot water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a slow simmer. cover and cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
- Prep your Veggies. Slice the red cabbage and radish very thinly. ( I used a mandolin, if you don't have a mandolin, then a sharp knife will also do the trick.) Finely chop the parsley leaves and discard the stocks. (you can add the parsley stocks to your chicken broth) Cover your veggies and set them aside until ready to use.
- Debone, your chicken. Once your stock has finished cooking, remove the chicken and set it aside until it is cool enough to handle. Remove bones and skin, cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Strain your broth. Place a fine-mesh colander over a bowl large enough to hold all the broth, pour the stock into the colander. Once your broth is strained compost the vegetable scraps. Rinse out the stockpot you were using and add the strained broth back into the pot, keep warm until ready to assemble the rest of the ingredients.
- Assemble the soup. Using your soup bowl of choice. (I prefer a shallow rimmed bowl for this meal, but it's your choice. you do you.) Add the chicken, then cover with broth, and add veggie toppings.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use sea salt vs regular table salt to avoid a bitter taste.
- The recommended amount of salt may seem a bit much, but the salt will make or break the taste of this dish.
- The fresh vegetables can be substituted with whatever you want. Zucchini, Regular cabbage, etc. Just choose a vegetable that you like to eat raw.
- You can add cooked beans, rice, or pasta to the broth once it has been strained.
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