As we know, chicken soup is good for the soul and this Healing Chicken Soup is a feel-good homemade chicken soup that is so delicious! The cozy broth is flavoured with healing vegetables, herbs and organic chicken. Truly a perfect winter soup!
Chicken soup is truly soup for the soul…it is such a wonderful classic, comforting and delicious soup! Growing up chicken soup was a staple in our home and Mom would have a pot simmering often throughout the fall, winter and spring months. We were very fortunate to have fresh vegetables at our finger tips. Mom and Dad had a huge garden with several types of vegetables and then they would store them during the winter months.
If you are able to get fresh garden vegetables, it really can make a difference in the flavour of the soup, but as we know, once the winter season sets in, it becomes more difficult, so we purchase our vegetables in the grocery stores or markets and the outcome is flavourful and so worth your time and effort.
WHAT MAKES THIS RECIPE SO GOOD?
- For starters, I like to use organic chicken for it’s flavour and free from all the pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, harmful chemicals and are non-GMO. I was raised with this type of chicken and it is the only chicken I will eat and my last resort is hormone and antibiotic free chickens.
- It’s doesn’t require a lot of ingredients to get a delicious, nutritious and comforting soup.
- What makes this soup a little different from the rest is adding ginger and winter spinach. Which both offer several health benefits.
- All of the vegetables with the chicken, herbs and spinach makes this wholesome meal and all you need is some crusty bread!
- Chicken soup is so healthy and nutritious for us!! We have all heard it, that it will help cure a cold or the flu, well it does help a lot!! If you refer to my nutritious facts, I outline the benefits of chicken soup.
INGREDIENTS & COOKING TIPS
- Extra virgin olive oil: recommend using a good quality evoo
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger: use fresh ginger for this recipe to get the full health benefit and flavour
- Celery: I used organic celery
- Carrots: I like to use organic carrots
- Thyme: I used dry and fresh
- Chicken stock: homemade, store bought or another option is organic bouillon cubes
- Bay leaves
- Chicken breast: I used organic bone-in and skin-on for reasons that I prefer as they have more flavour; can always substitute skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- Seasonings: salt and pepper
- Pasta: I chose orzo or other small pasta which makes it easier to eat 🙂
- Lemon juice: adds freshness and brings out all of the flavours
- Winter spinach: is a hearty rich, deep in colour spinach that works well for soups and loaded with nutritional benefits. You can always substitute this spinach with regular spinach and if you use baby spinach add it right at the last minute.
- Herbs: fresh parsley and dry thyme
Throughout the summer and fall months there are many varieties of spinach. This organic variety is what I see often this type of the year, it tends to be hardy, and the colour is deep, rich and vibrant. It is similar to a winter spinach, yet it grows well during the warm months. It can be added to stews, soups, stir-fries and salads of course. It is packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, making it a superfood.
It has many health benefits from improving eyesight, supports and strengthens bones and muscles. Spinach is one of most powerful food to reduce inflammation in our body. As well, it is high in antioxidants that help to reduce the risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot, over medium and sauté onion for about 3 minutes until tender and add garlic and ginger, sauté for about 30 seconds, long enough to release the aroma. Stir in celery and carrots with thyme and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bring soup to a low boil and reduce to heat to simmer for 45 minutes.
For the pasta, bring a sauce pot to a boil at medium-high heat, add some salt and orzo. Cook until al dente and drain. Set aside.
After 45 minutes, remove chicken breasts from the soup and remove skin and shred the chicken with two forks away from the bones. Add the shredding chicken to the soup, along with the cooked orzo, spinach and parsley. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasonings at this time.
Once the vegetables are tender and the shredded chicken is added along with the spinach and parsley, it is time to ladle the soup into soup bowls. If you so desired, add more parsley, fresh thyme to the serving bowls. Serve with crusty bread.
STORING
Store this delicious soup in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Then any leftover, you can freeze it in a container with a lid that is freezer-safe for up 3 months.
Healing Chicken Soup with Ginger and Spinach
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven
- 1 medium sauce pot
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 6-7 cups organic chicken stock or 2 organic chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1¼ lb chicken breast, bone-in and skin-on
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 cup pasta, orzo
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups winter spinach
- ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped
- fresh thyme for garnishing
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot, over medium and sauté onion for about 3 minutes until tender and add garlic and ginger, sauté for about 30 seconds, long enough to release the aroma. Stir in celery and carrots with thyme and cook for another 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add the chicken stock, bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Bring soup to a low boil and reduce to heat to simmer for 45 minutes.
- Bring a sauce pot to a boil for medium-high heat, add some salt and orzo. Cook until al dente and drain. Set aside.
- After 45 minutes, remove chicken breasts from the soup and remove skin and shred the chicken with two forks away from the bones. Add the shredding chicken to the soup, along with the cooked orzo, spinach and parsley. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasonings at this time.
- Once the vegetables are tender and the shredded chicken is added along with the spinach and parsley, it is time to ladle the soup into soup bowls. If you so desired, add more parsley, fresh thyme to the serving bowls. Serve with crusty bread.
