A cup of this soup a day will keep the doctor away
Avoiding coming down with something nasty during the cold and flu season can seem near impossible at times, when people are dropping off around you one by one…. But it can be done!
The best method for staying illness-free is to safeguard your immune system by using food as medicine and it’s no coincidence that almost every culture turns to soup for this. It’s easy to digest, soothing, warming and nourishing – not to mention you can jam-pack it with all sorts of anti-viral, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and immune-loving ingredients.
This FIT Immune-Boosting Paleo Chicken Soup has it all:
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
- 400g chicken thigh, in chunks
- 2 brown onions, diced
- 1 zucchini, medium, diced
- ¼ medium butternut pumpkin, chopped in cubes
- 4 cups mixed green leafy vegetables of choice, roughly chopped
- 200g mushrooms, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, medium, chopped
- ¼ bunch celery, chopped
- 1 tsp. ginger powder or 2cm piece fresh
- 1 Tbsp. turmeric root powder or 4cm piece fresh
- 2 tsp. thyme
- 2 tsp. rosemary
- 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2L chicken stock
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 lemon, juice only (optional)
- Himalayan pink salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large soup pot. Season the chicken with Himalayan salt and pepper, then place into the pot. Sear all sides for 2-3 minutes on medium heat and then transfer to a separate plate.
- Add all vegetables except for the leafy greens, plus the onion and garlic to the pot. Add more coconut oil if needed and cook for approximately 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add the herbs and spices to the pot, stirring continuously for about 2 minutes, when it should become noticeably aromatic.
- Add the apple cider vinegar into the pot, scrapping the sides and bottom down as you go to remove any browned bits.
- Pour in the chicken stock, bay leaves and seared chicken piecesthat were set aside earlier. Cover the pot and leave to cook on low heat for around 30 minutes. You will know it’s ready when the chicken is cooked through and tender, the vegetables are soft, and herbs and spices have become extremely fragrant.
- When serving, squeeze lemon juice over the top and garnish with herbs.
Tip: Kelp noodles make a delicious addition if you want to turn it into a paleo version of chicken noddle soup!