Immune boosting chicken soup
Roast chicken on a Sunday is my ultimate comfort food. What’s even better is knowing that nothing will go to waste. First make a stock/broth with the leftovers and then make the ultimate comforting and immune boosting chicken soup. Full of the warming goodness of ginger and turmeric, packed with vegetables, this soup is a winner every time. I have also added pearl barley to make it go further , but you could ommit or swap for brown rice, giant couscous or quinoa.
ingredients
serves 4
1 tablespoon avocado oil /olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small leek, sliced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 small-medium carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger (or 1 teaspoon ground ginger)
1 tablespoon fresh grated turmeric (or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric)
600ml+ preferably homemade chicken broth
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt & Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup pearl barley
1 cup frozen peas (optional)
method
prep time: 15mins
cook time: 45mins
Place a large cast iron pot over medium high heat and add in the oil.
Once oil is hot, add the garlic, onion, carrots, leek and celery; cook for a few minutes until the onions becomes translucent.
Next add the ginger and turmeric. Saute for 1 minute to let the spices be absorbed and then add the chicken broth, chicken thighs, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.
Bring the soup to a boil, then stir in pearl barley. Make sure to stir and ensure the chicken is entirely covered by the broth.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
Once chicken is cooked, remove from the broth and transfer to a cutting board to shred with two forks.
Add the shredded chicken back to your pot and stir in the frozen peas.
If you find that you don't have enough broth, feel free to add another cup or more to your desired consistency.
Taste, adjust seasoning and enjoy!
the health boost tip
Chicken broth is excellent if you suffer from digestive problems and it will help to heal a damaged gut lining. It's also rich in gelatine and collagen so great for joints and wrinkles. Chicken broth is also very rich in minerals in a form that the body can easily absorb. The ginger, turmeric and garlic make it your perfect comforting winter immune booster.
