This is a fabulous recipe, especially as we are heading into the cold and flu season, or booger season, as I like to call it.  When everyone’s immune system can use a boost.  There are so many pluses to this recipe, among them are that if you are looking to clear out your fridge this is a great recipe, it has pretty much everything in it.

My kids will eat parts of this soup.  I can’t wait to make it again.  It’s from Chatelaine magazine.

I usually make my own stock, but if you are pressed for time, use store bought, but take a look at the recipe for the stock, you might want to give it a try too!  Honestly try it, it’s worth it!

Immune-Boosting Chicken Soup Recipe
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped fine
2 inches ginger, chopped fine
2 cups leeks, chopped
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 cups carrots, cut into ¼-inch rounds
2 cups sweet potatoes, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 tsp grey or pink sea salt
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup parsley, freshly chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, freshly chopped
1 tbsp of each oregano, thyme, and rosemary, chopped* (or 1 tsp dry)
2 bay leaf, whole
4 cups kale, washed and torn
1 cup snow peas or green beans, chopped
4 skinless chicken thighs, chopped into cubes
5 garlic cloves, sliced and divided

Directions

1. Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, 3 garlic cloves, ginger and leeks. Cook until softened—about 3 minutes.
2. Add chopped vegetables, chicken, salt, chicken stock and bay leaf. Increase temperature to high, bring to a boil and reduce heat so soup simmers. Cook for approximately 25 minutes until vegetables soften, but aren’t mushy.
3. Stir the kale, peas, fresh herbs, 2 cloves of fresh finely chopped garlic into the soup. Simmer for another few minutes to blend flavours and soften kale. Adding these ingredients at the end ensures that the veggies are bright green and the garlic is providing maximum immune benefit.

Easy Immune-Building Chicken Stock

This is a very simple stock recipe, and the best part is it use scraps, so it basically costs nothing to make.  You can freeze it like I do, just be sure to label the container, so you don’t sit in front of the freezer three months from now wondering what the mystery substance is.  Using the bones also releases calcium into the stock, so it’s  a win win win.

My suggestion would be to prep the veggies for the soup, take the scraps and make the stock out of them, and then use the stock for the soup, and store the leftovers.

Another tip, if you have a roast chicken carcass, and don’t feel like making stock right then and there, freeze it, and use it in the future, when you do want to make stock.

Whole chicken carcass (leftovers from roast chicken dinner)
12 cups (3 litres) of water
2 cups vegetable scraps- carrot skins, celery leaves, sweet potato peels ect.
Seasoning- parsley and basil stems,
Optional: unrefined sea salt to taste if desired

1. Put the chicken, vegetable scraps and the water in a large pot and bring to the boil.
2. Reduce to simmer and stir well. Cover and cook for 20 min.
3. Remove any large bones or skin and either use to make the soup or cool before storing.