If you’re feeling a bit under the weather or just trying to keep your immune system from tanking, you have to try my Best Chicken Soup recipe for your Immune System. This is not your ordinary chicken soup. It is packed with immune-boosting, anti-inflammatory ingredients like garlic, ginger, and turmeric. And bonus – the flavor is amazing! So good, even your pickiest eaters will enjoy it.
Growing up, I was one of those kids that rarely got sick. But when I did, I would be out of commission for a few days. My mom would put me on a very strict diet of soups and warm drinks from the onset of my symptoms until at least a week after my last symptom. We have a large family. My parents could not risk getting everyone else sick, so quarantining the one or two sick children was a MUST!
With Flu season (and a pandemic) upon us, I have added this soup to our daily soup rotation during dinner. Everyone gets a small bowl of my best chicken soup before their main dish to help keep their immune systems working properly. As a pediatric nurse, I pose a huge risk to my family. So I do my part to help protect their immune systems (and mine) – lots of handwashing, laundry, showers, cleaning, and soups… a whole lot of soup!
For more tips on how to fight the Flu, check out Top 10 Flu Fighting Tips. Looking for a curry recipe using an Instant Pot? Check out my recipe for Instant Pot Thai Red Curry with Chicken.
Let’s get to the Best Chicken Soup recipe for your Immune System now.
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The Best Chicken Soup RECIPE
(for your Immune System)
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp cooking oil (we love avocado oil)
- 1 large onion – sliced or diced
- 10 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 lb leek – diced
- 4 carrots – sliced with clean skin on
- 2 celery stalks – diced
- 2-inch ginger – freshly grated
- 2-inch turmeric – freshly grated
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth (try making your own bone broth with my simple bone broth recipe)
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast and/or thighs
- 1 bunch cilantro – separate stalks from leaves (Not a fan of cilantro? Use parsley instead.)
- 1 bunch green onion – sliced thin and separate the whites from the green slices
- 1 cup peas
- 1/4 cup lentils or diced potatoes
- sesame oil to garnish
- lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- Before beginning to cook, make sure all your vegetables and herbs are clean, dry, and prepared according to your slice/dice/cubed preferences. Set all ingredients aside.
- Place a large pot (I like using an 8 or 10-quart pot) over medium heat and drizzle your oil into the pot. When the oil is hot, add leeks and sautee until some start to turn brown (about 5-7 minutes). This will bring out the sweetness. Remove leeks and set them aside in a bowl.
- In the same pot, drizzle a little more oil and cook your onions until translucent (2-4 minutes). Add garlic and cook until aromatic (less than 1 minute). Crack a little bit of salt and pepper, then add carrots and sautee for 2-4 minutes. Add celery and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Set aside 1/2 tsp of the grated ginger and turmeric to add to the soup at the end. Then add the remaining grated ginger and turmeric into the pot. Sautee until aromatic (less than 1 minute). Now add chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Taste the soup and make sure the flavor is to your liking. Season to taste if needed.
- Add raw chicken pieces, cilantro/parsley stalks, white slices of green onion, and lentils/potatoes into the pot. Make sure all the ingredients are below the water level. Bring everything to a rolling boil. Let it continue to boil for 5-10 minutes. Your chicken pieces should be floating to the top, indicating the meat is nearly cooked.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and taste the soup. Season to taste if needed. Let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- If you want to shred the chicken pieces, now would be the time to do that carefully with two forks to avoid getting burned. Then add chicken pieces back into the pot and stir in the peas and sauteed leeks (from Step 2). Peas should only take a few minutes to cook.
- Add the 1/2 tsp of reserved grated ginger and turmeric into the pot. Time for another taste test. Season it to your preference. If you find the soup needs more liquid, add HOT water to the soup a little bit at a time and season again, if necessary.
- Garnish with cilantro/parsley leaves, green parts of sliced green onion, a crack of black pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a small squeeze of lime. Serve with rice or bread. Enjoy!
The BEST Chicken Soup (for Your Immune System)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Cutting Board
- Large Knife
- Two Forks
- Ladle
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp 2-3 tbsp cooking oil (we love avocado oil)
- 1 large onion – sliced or diced
- 10 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 lb leek – diced
- 4 carrots – sliced with clean skin on
- 2 celery stalks – diced
- 2 inch ginger – freshly grated
- 2 inch turmeric – freshly grated
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 lbs boneless chicken breast and/or thighs
- 1 bunch cilantro – separate stalks from leaves Not a fan of cilantro? Use parsley instead.
- 1 bunch green onion – sliced thin and separate the whites from the green slices
- 1 cup peas
- 1/4 cup lentils or diced potatoes
- sesame oil to garnish
- lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- Before beginning to cook, make sure all your vegetables and herbs are clean, dry, and prepared according to your slice/dice/cubed preferences. Set all ingredients aside.
- Place a large pot (I like using an 8 or 10-quart pot) over medium heat and drizzle your oil into the pot. When the oil is hot, add leeks and sautee until some start to turn brown (about 5-7 minutes). This will bring out the sweetness. Remove leeks and set them aside in a bowl.
- In the same pot, drizzle a little more oil and cook your onions until translucent (2-4 minutes). Add garlic and cook until aromatic (less than 1 minute). Crack a little bit of salt and pepper, then add carrots and sautee for 2-4 minutes. Add celery and cook for an additional 2-4 minutes.
- Set aside 1/2 tsp of the grated ginger and turmeric to add to the soup at the end. Then add the remaining grated ginger and turmeric into the pot. Sautee until aromatic (less than 1 minute). Now add chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Taste the soup and make sure the flavor is to your liking. Season to taste if needed.
- Add raw chicken pieces, cilantro/parsley stalks, white slices of green onion, and lentils/potatoes into the pot. Make sure all the ingredients are below the water level. Bring everything to a rolling boil. Let it continue to boil for 5-10 minutes. Your chicken pieces should be floating to the top, indicating the meat is nearly cooked.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and taste the soup. Season to taste if needed. Let it simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- If you want to shred the chicken pieces, now would be the time to do that carefully with two forks to avoid getting burned. Then add chicken pieces back into the pot and stir in the peas and sauteed leeks (from Step 2). Peas should only take a few minutes to cook.
- Add the 1/2 tsp of reserved grated ginger and turmeric into the pot. Time for another taste test. Season it to your preference. If you find the soup needs more liquid, add HOT water to the soup a little bit at a time and season again, if necessary.
- Garnish with cilantro/parsley leaves, green parts of sliced green onion, a crack of black pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a small squeeze of lime. Serve with rice or bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you cannot find any fresh herbs, dried herbs will do just as well. Keep in mind, dried herbs have a stronger taste than fresh herbs. Therefore, reduce the measurement by at least half.
- If you plan to make a huge batch to last you a few days, use less salt. The longer soup sits, the more flavorful and often times, saltier it gets. If you find your soup is too salty, add more water.
- You can easily make this soup vegetarian by replacing chicken with your choice of protein (i.e. beans or tofu). You can also replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- You do not have to set the sauteed leeks aside if you don’t want to. I only do that to avoid having to remove them when I have to shred my chicken pieces. The soup will taste the same either way.
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Stay healthy. Stay Warm. Stay Safe.
Peace & Blessings to you all!
Bahry & The Boys
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